Pandora's Box
by Kneazle
Summary: The end of the wizard world has arrived Harry and his friends are dead to the world, but some believe otherwise. Armed with mutated powers, they're given the chance to take Voldemort out once and for all but who will be left?
1. Prologue: Differences

Pandora's Box

_Kneazle_

_DC: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot._

_AN: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, later on, the Renaissance become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: they fight and teach!  [Feb. 10, 02]_

_  
_

_**~**_

**_This is my story and I'm telling you   
It's not fiction, it's surely a fact_**_ – Ginuwine "Differences"_

_**~**_

In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on earth. Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship; to create her and he did, using water and earth. The gods endowed her with many talents; Aphrodite gave her beauty, Apollo music, Hermes persuasion, and so forth. Hence her name: Pandora, "all-gifted".

When Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Zeus took vengeance by presenting Pandora to Epimetheus, Prometheus' brother. With her, Pandora had a jar, which she was not to open under any circumstance. Impelled by her natural curiosity, Pandora opened the jar, and all evil contained escaped and spread over the earth. She hastened to close the lid, but the whole contents of the jar had escaped, except for one thing that lay at the bottom, and that was Hope.

**~**__

Prologue September 19 

Today happened to be the worst of my life. I could never have believed what was to come would ever happen – it was all too fast. Dumbledore never knew what hit him – us – and we were all awestruck, especially the Muggleborns, as we were "their" targets. Draco, I remember, freaked out when he saw what his father was leading. How could they have gotten past Dumbledore's shields? How could Snape not have known? We could not answer these questions as the spells went left, right and center. Many students were killed. I can still smell the blood; I can still see it on my hands. I'm stained. I'm tainted. 

_            God help us. Voldemort took down Hogwarts today. We are under his mercy. _

_            God help us._

_-- _From the loose pages of Hannah Abbott, died September 20, "Avada Kedavra" curses

            Voldemort attacked and overthrew the safeguard castle, Hogwarts, on September 19. He fought many teachers, imprisoning them and murdering many students. He came to the school with his Death Eaters in order to kill and purify the wizardring race. 

_            Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Lavender Brown, Blaise Zabini, and many other seventh year students stayed behind to fight alongside the teachers. This however, turned into mass hysteria when their beloved Headmaster, Dumbledore, crumpled to the ground._

_            Death Eaters round these ten main renaissance fighters up._

_            Our story starts here._


	2. Chapter One: May It Be

Pandora's Box

_Kneazle_

_DC: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot._

_AN: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, later on, the Renaissance become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: they fight and teach!  [Feb. 10, 02]_

**-**

**_May it be an evening star   
Shines down upon you   
May it be when darkness falls   
Your heart will be true – _**_Enya__, "May It Be"_

**~**

Chapter One

            Hermione bit the hand of the Death Eater who grabbed her forcefully by the shoulder. He grunted in pain and backslapped her across the cheek. Harry and Ron both strained against their capture's hands. 

            "Hermione!" Harry cried out, clenching his teeth. Ron trashed wildly around. Both were hit in the stomach. They kneeled down to the ground, struggling to keep their breaths. 

            "Shut up," growled a Death Eater. Many students, like the younger ones, whimpered and cowered in the darkness of the Great Hall as they saw this. The floating lights above them had gone out, a few torched on the wall still flickered. 

            "Potter," hissed a voice. Instantly, a cold breeze swept around the room, the sniffling of students stopped. The ten renaissance fighters lifted their gazes to face the master of the hiss. Nothing could be seen as they were forced to look into a dark abyss in front of them. That used to be where the great doors opened to allow students into the school.

            Slowly, a silhouette of a creature – man – appeared. He was taller than normal and much skinnier. Finally, as he materialized, his glowing red eyes swept over the ten. 

            "Well, well, I see you've gotten yourself into quite a predicament, Potter," snarled the man. He slipped a finger under Harry's chin, drawing his gaze to be level with his. Harry bit his lips so hard he drew blood. It ran down to his chin before dripping onto the ground. 

            "Go to Hell, Voldemort," he shouted, twisting his head out of his grip. Voldemort snarled and his nails cut Harry's cheek. That blood seeped down into the folds of his robe.

            "Harry!" Hermione cried out. She struggled against the Death Eater's hands. He snapped, "this one is feisty Master, what shall I do with her?"

            Voldemort swept his red eyes over Hermione. She felt violated and shivered involuntary. His bloodless lips curled into a smile – an evil grin that chilled Hermione to the bone.

            "I see. I see, this must be Granger, the smart Mudblood that Potter and the Weasley are friends with… and I see that your son, Lucius, has abandoned all hopes of being a Death Eater like his father." His gaze had swept from Hermione to Draco to the man holding Harry. 

            The Death Eater holding Harry, identified as Lucius Malfoy, bowed his head. "Master, forgive me. I did not know my son would turn out to be a weakling."

            "You're forgiven… but your son…" Voldemort waved his hand. "Wormtail?"

            A sniveling little man, with glowing silver hand, stepped forward. "Sire?"

            "Take Potter, Weasley and his sister, Malfoy, Zabini, Longbottom, Thomas and Finnigan to the astronomy tower. I'll be there shortly. Leave Brown and Granger here with me." Voldemort's gaze pierced Hermione and Lavender, making them shiver.

            _Don't worry, girls, it won't hurt… much,_ his voice whispered in their heads. Lavender gasped, but Hermione raised her head an inch to stare Voldemort down.

            He snarled at her, and waved his long hand towards Lucius. "Take them – but wait."

            Lucius stopped moving. Voldemort looked down at the eight taken away, and laughed, "say goodbye to your friends here. It may be the last time you see them alive."

            Now Lavender and Hermione bit, and scratched and struggled to escape certain death. Harry, Ron, and the others did everything they could do to make sure the two girls would stay alive.

            They were led out the Great Hall, the faces of the two girls crying back at them.

**~**

            Harry paced back and forth on the top of the astronomy tower. Voldemort's attack had started here; the railing was blown off and the turrets around them were gone. It was only a door, which was miraculously standing, but the walls on either side were blown apart so one could see who was walking up the stairs. The entire astronomy tower was a circular floor.

            "Harry, what are we going to do?" whispered a frantic Ron. Lavender Brown is – was? – His girlfriend. 

            "I don't know," whispered Harry back. He motioned the group for a huddle. He looked at Blaise and Draco. "Any ideas? You should know their moves well."

            "Pretty well, yes, but these attack strategies…" Blaise whistled. "It's amazing. I've never seen it used before. They must have someone new."

            "New? Like who?" asked Dean. "We're just bloody lucky that we're pure-born, do you have any idea what Lavender and Hermione could be going through right now?"

            "Nothing," a new voice joined the conversation. The group turned and gasped. Lavender and Hermione lay at a heap by the door, bloodied and bruised. Harry and Ron rushed over and dragged them to where the others were standing.

            "What the hell did you do to them?" screamed Ginny. She checked their pulses, and sighed, feeling them strong beneath her fingertips.

            "Nothing a little cruico couldn't handle," laughed Wormtail, stepping out from behind the one who spoke. 

            "Wormtail," hissed Harry, stepping out in front of the group. Neville looked at Harry and back to Wormtail.

            "You know this Death Eater personally, Harry?" asked Neville. He picked up his wand and was playing with it lightly.

            "Hell yes," snarled Harry. "He was the one who let Voldemort know where my parents were – he was their Secret Keeper!" 

            Ginny's eyes widened. So did Draco, Blaise, Dean and Seamus'. 

            "Well," said Neville, nodding. "I can see why you're pissed."

            Nothing more was said. Wormtail stood tall (in a short sense) and unfazed by Harry's anger.

            "What are you going to do, Harry? Shoot curses at me? Kill me? You couldn't five years ago, what makes you think you can now?" he taunted.

            Harry said nothing but stopped. He stood up straight and walked back to the group backwards. "You'll get yours, Peter, you'll get yours."

            Wormtail looked a bit shaken there, but then let the tallest Death Eater forward. "Take them."

            Then he went back down to the Great Hall. The fellowship of Hogwarts stepped and founded a circle around the Death Eaters that were closing in on them. 

            "Put down your wands," snarled one that Harry, Blaise and Draco recognized as Avery. "Unless you want more people to be hurt."

            The group considered this, but Draco and Blaise were ready to fire off hexes. 

            "Put the wands down," sighed Harry. He lowered his and Ron, Dean, Ginny and Seamus followed. Neville sighed and did as well. Draco looked incredulous. 

            "Why? Why the fucking hell put the wands down, Potter??" he cried. 

            "Because. Look." He trailed his finger down to the Quidditch field where they had lined students up for execution. The group followed his train, and swore. 

            "That's low," whispered Blaise.

            "Even for Voldemort," agreed Seamus. He ran a hand through his sandy-coloured hair and threw his wand towards Avery. 

            "Good lad," he grinned maliciously. The others followed suit, leaving them defenseless. 

            He picked them all up, one at a time. Then, he lifted his wand straight in the air and shouted, "solarious!"

            The group gasped and covered their eyes as a bright light erupted from his wand tip. Once it diminished, they turned to the field where bodies were dropping. Green flashes and sparks from the Avada Kedavra curse appeared and disappeared. 

            "You fuck!" hollered Dean, turning to face Avery. He and the other Death Eaters laughed. "You liar! You don't have to kill them!"

            "No, we don't. But the Master wants them dead. Be happy that Granger and Brown aren't with them." Jeered Avery. He pointed his wand at them. "Now. Single-file please. And watch your step. It's a long way to Hell."

**~**

            The group was silent as they walked slowly down the steps from the astronomy tower to the Quidditch field. Hermione and Lavender were revived and were stumbling down with them. Once they reached the field, the group went stiff. 

            Lifeless eyes stared up at them. Open-mouth children screamed silently. No blood was on the ground. Hermione blinked hard to stop the tears from falling over.

            "Line up please," chuckled another voice, McNair's. 

            The group did as they were told, staring blankly up at their assassins. A slight breeze blew around them. Out of the corner of their eyes, they spotted the teacher's that hadn't died lined up in the bleachers looking at them too. Many were crying. 

            Voldemort appeared from the bleaches in the opposite side, grinning like a madman at them. He came to a stop in front of them. 

            "My Fellowship," he grinned. "Welcome… to misery."

            He pointed his wand at them, the middle, where Harry stood defiantly. They locked gazes, Harry's scar erupting with pain again. Swallowing, he set his mouth into a scowl. 

            "Why, Potter, that's no way to be frozen forever," laughed Voldemort. Gasps from the professors' confirmed Hermione's worst fears. 

            _Well, smarty, how do we get out of this one? _ She wondered. _We don't,_ she replied.

            "Glacialis!" he shouted. Harry's eyes widened when he felt the icy chill start in his foot. Around him, forming out of ice was a square. It had already climbed to his ankles and was presently moving up his shins. He looked over and saw Draco furiously trying to blast it away. He only succeeded in making ice fly up to his face, cutting it. 

            "Hermione?" shouted Harry, twisting his knees. They were locked together. 

            "I'm working on it, Harry," she shouted back from Ron's side. She was trying to melt the ice, but it was forming faster than she could thaw.

            "Harry, there's no way out of this one," whispered Ron. Ginny sniffled as she looked around. The group had stopped struggling. They were now waist-deep in ice.

            Everyone turned to face him. He bit his lip, rolling it inward. Hermione blinked back tears. Her waist was gone. 

            "Well… guys… it's been fun these past weeks," said Blaise. He brushed some blond hair out of his face. It was usually spiked, but after the fight, it had gone limp.

            "I agree," laughed Neville. "Wouldn't have thought that this is where I'd be."

            "Goodbye," said Ginny as she tilted her head back. The ice was at her chin. She was covered. 

            "GINNY!" Shouted three voices; Hermione, Harry and Ron. They began to struggle again. 

            Hermione finally sighed. "This is it, Fellowship," she said in a choppy voice. 

            Harry nodded. His lips were turning blue. "If we ever get out of this…"

            "We'll see you on the other side," laughed a shaking Draco. His blond-white hair stood out against the blue tinge to his lips, the purple colour of his skin. 

            The seconds the Fellowship of Hogwarts was covered in ice, all hope for the future frozen, locked forever in time.

**~**

December 24, Christmas Eve, four years since the fall of Hogwarts 

_            Ron and Ginny are both covered in ice. Death Eaters had just arrived at the house to tell us this. They then explained what might happen to them. Where they are located, stupid gits. _

_            They're in a tower in the middle of this desert Voldemort made. The whole world is geographically changed. There's no idea whether or not Ottery St. Catchpole is still in England. I don't know. Along with them are eight others whom Voldemort called 'renaissance'. And guess who they are? Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, and Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini. _

_            They're frozen… completely frozen. They still grow, their bodies and mature. They get older by the day. Their powers grow stronger and more wild and untamed. The more dangerous they become. Of course, out dear Dark Lord Voldemort doesn't know this._

_            I'm going with Fred and George and a few other Gryffindors and other houses to this desert to find my baby sister and brother. We're going to set them free. _

_            So they can save the world. They have no idea what has happened since that day they were frozen._

-- From the journal of Percy Weasley, twenty-five years of age, at the Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole

**~**

            "Percy, be careful," sobbed Mrs. Weasley as she held Percy's cheeks in her hands. She kissed him once on each cheek.

            "Mother, I'll be quite fine, but we must go now," sighed Percy, undoing Molly's grip. She nodded, and Arthur placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

            Fred and George hitched their backpacks over their shoulders, and opened the door. On their step were Oliver Wood, Roger Davis, Cho Chang and Padma Patil. 

            "Ready?" Oliver asked. His dark brown eyes looked black in the shadows – like the rest of the world. 

            "Ready," agreed George. "C'mon, Percy, let's go. The more time we waste the more time Voldemort increases his powers."

            Percy nodded, grabbed his own backpack and went out the door after them. They summoned their broomsticks (Weasleys had Firebolts, thanks to Harry's Weasley's Wheezes down payment) and mounted. As they were ready to kick off, another shape came into view over the treetops.

            "Wait for me!" shouted a girly voice. "_Arrêt-vous_!"

            The group stopped, hovering above the ground, their toes just skimming the grass. As the figure got closer, the wands were dropped. 

            "Fleur?" asked a surprised George. 

            "_Oui_, it is me," her French accent had diminished and only a few French words escaped her. "Wait for me –I had 'eard about 'Arry and your brother and sister, Weasleys. I 'ave come to 'elp."

            "Right," nodded Percy, undoubtedly in charge. "Let's go then. To the British Ministry."

            "Are you sure?"

            "We need to know where to go, dammit," snapped Percy. The group recoiled. "Any other suggestions?"

            "The Zabinis. Or the Malfoys." Spoke Padma. The group turned to look at her. "Look. I come from a long wizardring line. We lived near the Malfoys. Lucius moved out within days of Narcassia's 'suicide'."

            Fred whistled. "Where, is the house empty?"

            "Only a few house elves here and there." Replied Padma. "They won't ask about us. Not if we say we're here to pick up some of Draco's stuff to throw out."

            Cho agreed. "Let's go. Please."

            Fleur looked around, shivering as a slight breeze swept over the winter countryside. "_Il est temps que nous partions._" 

            "What?" Oliver asked, staring at her.

            "It is time we get moving," she replied, sheepishly in English. "_Pardon moi_."

            Finally agreeing on a destination, the group soared up to the rooftops, circled the Burrow once, before shooting off West. 

**~**

            The chilly wind bit into Fred's skin, stinging his cheeks. His eyes watered but they stared ahead defiantly. 

            "What been happening in France, Fleur?" shouted Percy overtop the sound of the rushing wind.

            She whipped her head around, so her blonde hair flew out behind her. "You do not want to know. It has been crazy there – Voldemort stormed through Beuxbatons within days of Hogwarts… _excusez_-_moi_… and many Muggleborns died. Many purebloods fought the dark wizards, but many died. Only a few of us escaped. I had heard about Harry and Ron and Hermione… I am surprised Viktor had not arrived."

            "Because he's a Death Eater, didn't you hear?" Cho asked, addressing the last part to the group. "Karkaroff had some say in it. Killed his own parents, I heard."

            "Blimey… and remember what he did to Cedric in the Triwizard…" George's statement fell on dead lips. "Sorry there, Cho."

            "It's all right. I just want to piece of this action to avenge Cedric," she sighed. Her shoulder length black hair glimmered in the moonlight. "How much further until we reach the Malfoy Manor?"

            "A few more miles… it should be coming into view… now," finished Padma, pointing. There, on a hill, stood the menacing manor that the Malfoys had called home. The square-shaped house loomed closer to them. 

            "DOWN!" ordered Percy, swinging them low into a dense wooded area. Leaves rustled against their robes. Percy looked back. "We're too loud. Let's land!"  
            The group did as they were told and landed softly and noiselessly on a moss-covered floor. Percy quickly unbuttoned his green robes. 

            "What are you doing?" hissed Fred, staring at his older brother. Percy sighed.

            "We're making too much noise wearing our robes. Take them off. They're holding us down. We can walk much better and are quicker in Muggle clothing." He instructed. Fleur and Padma were close behind him. Finally, the rest of the group caught on and discarded their robes. 

            "Now what?" asked Oliver, looking to the large pile of clothing. "If we leave them here…"

            "Can we banish them?"

            "Or burn them?"

            "No," shook Percy's red head. "We need to transform them into something that no one would think is out of place."

            "That large a pile?" gasped Padma. "I'm sorry, but I never finished school, now did I? I never learnt how to handle that large a transformation."

            "It's okay. You can watch," smiled Cho, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "How about a rock? Or a bush?"

            "Great – a bush!" snapped Percy's fingers. "Come on, all, let's get this over with. Malfoy Manor is only a stone-throw away."

            The group pointed their wands at the pile and said together, "converto induviae!" There was a slow moving forest green light as the spell trickled forward, before engulfing the clothing. Before their eyes, the spell disappeared and a small bush took its place.

            "Well, I'll be," remarked Roger Davis. He looked up. "We better go. I bet the Death Eater's can trace magic spells now."

            "Hmm," agreed Percy. "Let's go. Get this done and over with to find out where the Fellowship is."

            They mounted their brooms and skimmed across the ground's surface. They went in pairs, each keeping a lookout on either side of the trees. 

            "Do you think they're really a Fellowship of Hogwarts?" finally asked Padma as she and Cho swung around to the front of Percy and Fleur. 

            "No," said Percy, his eyes ahead. 

            "Then what are they?" asked Fleur. 

            "They're a Fellowship of Magic."


	3. Chapter Two: Crawling In the Dark

Pandora's Box

_Kneazle_

_DC: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot._

_AN: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, later on, the Renaissance become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: they fight and teach!  [Feb. 10, 02]_

**-**

**_I will dedicate and sacrifice my everything   
for just a seconds worth of how my story's ending   
I wish I could know if the directions that I take   
and all the choices that I make won't end up all for nothing_**_ – Hoobastank _

_"Crawling in the Dark"_

**~**

Chapter Two

            Malfoy Manor looked as if it had deserted for years, not months. Sheets were drawn to cover furniture from collecting dust. The drapes were drawn tightly together to keep the light out. Dust had settled thickly on the floor, but there were no footprints to say house elves were employed at Malfoy Manor anymore.

            "Be on your guard," Percy warned. "Ghosts… Demetors… house elves. Anything, be on your guard."

            "Right," the group chorused in the softest of voices. They began to spread out around the house, looking for the study or anywhere where loose paper could be.

            Oliver Wood had found the study with Roger Davis. They crept in the room, muttered, "lumos" and gasped. 

            "Guys," called Oliver, not taking his eyes off the sight in front of him. The group scuttled into the room, and looked up.

            Narcassia Malfoy was hanging from the ceiling, a knife stuck through her heart. She, however, was pointing at a spot on the wall.

            Padma and Cho gasped, covering their faces. Fleur paled. Fred and George walked over to where she was pointing. 

            "Be careful," hissed Percy. "You don't want to trip any alerts."

            Fred and George nodded. They began to look around the wall. George ran his fingers lightly up and down the cracks, wanting to know if it was a hidden safe behind.

            Oliver and Percy walked right around the body. "Think she was murdered?" asked Oliver, shaking slightly. 

            "No doubt," muttered Percy, looking at a chair in the corner, which had been placed nicely back. "She couldn't have strangled herself if that's her wand there." He pointed at the wooden wand that lay nicely on the desktop. The desk, itself, was bare.

            "Fuck!" swore Fred, as he brought his thumb to his mouth and sucked on it. Fleur turned her attention to him. 

            "What is it?" she asked, her eyes wide and alert.

            "There's something here. I got a paper cut," he snapped. His other hand ran through his short red hair. "Help me, here, George?"

            George nodded and they began to pull on a spot on the wall that jutted out a bit. After a few grunts, they managed to pull the covering off. Behind it was a foot deep and wide hidden spot. Inside, where a stack of papers yellowed with age and books that smelled musty.

            "Let's get the hell out of here," whispered Roger, looking around the room. "Mrs. Malfoy's eyes aren't the only ones in here." 

            "What?" Percy asked, looking up at him standing in the doorway. "What else has"—

            He never finished his sentence as Roger Davis fell to the ground, his eyes wide with horror, dead. 

            "Davis?" screamed Fleur, jumping back. She hid herself behind the door. Fred looked up and shoved the packet of paper in his jacket, and George took the books. They then looked at each other, pointed their wands out the closed and curtained window, and shouted, "reducto!"

            The glass splintered and shards went flying all over the lawn outside. The curtains blew into the room from the cold wind that had swept in over the sea.

            Three Death Eaters stood in the doorway. 

            "Accio Firebolt!" shouted Fred, as it came zooming across the lawn from the forest. He jumped on it, George copying him on his. "Let's go, boys and girls! Playtime is over!"

            Cho and Padma nodded, grinning as they both turned to the Death Eaters and shouted together, "stupefy!" two of them hit the floor, but the other yelled, "crucio!"

            Cho dodged and Padma jumped to the side as the spell whizzed by her ear. 

            "A little too close for comfort, there, boys," snapped Padma, her beautiful features turning dark. Oliver and Percy jumped forward and both knocked the remaining Death Eater out with a nice uppercut. 

            "Can we go now?" asked Percy, sighing. "What a mess."

            They stood on the window still, summoning their brooms. A scuffle made Oliver and Percy turn. The Death Eaters had stirred and sent an alarm out. More would be here soon.

            And they were. Popping up along the horizon, Percy and Oliver gulped. 

            "Now or never," Oliver laughed feebly. He jumped onto his broom, Percy right behind him, and they soared after the others. 

            "They're right behind us, get moving!" He shouted, forcing them to take a straight-up route. They tore through the chilling night sky only in light jackets and pants. 

            "Stupefy! Avada Kedavra!" voice shouted below them. Spells went hurtling past them, moving their hair. 

            "Higher!" screamed Fleur. She urged her broom to go further. Another stupefy was heard. Another bright red blast went by them.

            "Shit… What are we going to do?" Fred asked, looking back as they hovered high in the air. 

            "You and George need to keep going – you have the paper!" ordered Percy. "Fleur, you and Cho keep them together! Make sure nothing – FLEUR!"

            Fleur screamed as she was hit with a burning hex. Her skin burned and welted as the water burned her. "I cannot hold on much longer!"  
            Percy bit his lip. "Padma – you take Fleur's old job, hurry! You five head to somewhere… anywhere!"

            "How will you find us?" George asked as their flying began to slow. More spells went flying by. Fred tilted his head as one nearly got him in the jaw.

            "Go to… to?" Percy looked around the group. They had cuts along the cheeks from whip lashing branches, their eyes stung from the wind, and they were shivering. 

            "To Hermione's," said Padma suddenly. "I know where it is, we can go there!"

            "Good. I know where it is too," agreed Percy. "Stay there. We'll meet you there soon enough. Wood, go with them."

            "What? I can't leave you and Fleur out here! I can help! Weasley… don't do this," threatened Oliver. 

            "You need to help find Harry and the others. You need to go find them to save the world," argued Percy. "Please… we'll be fine."

            A red spell went soaring between the two. Time seemed to slow as Oliver's face stared back at Percy's. His brown eyes were illuminated and his hairs seemed to be red, like the Weasley's. Though his face was set deep in a stare, be finally nodded. 

            "Be safe, Percy." He finally said. "I lead – let's go!"

            Percy flew next to Fleur as they watched them go over the woods and disappear into a nimbus cloud. They were nothing but specks in the sky when Percy remembered the spells being thrown on him. 

            He turned and smiled at Fleur. "I'm sorry for doing this."

            "No, I understand," she smiled weakly at him. "_Au revior_, Monsieur Weasley." She closed her eyes as Percy's wand faced her. 

            "Obliverate," he whispered. A wispy opaque spell shimmered out and wrapped around Fleur. Her smile fell away as she went limp. Her hair covered her face. Percy settled her in front of his broom and wrapped an arm around her waist. 

            He turned to face the ten or so Death Eaters below. Pointing his wand at them, he shouted one at a time to each, "Stupefy!" before one blasted back at him. 

            He and Fleur fell to the ground, unaware of what was going to happen.

**~**

_December 31_

_            Hermione has been gone now for four years and four months. I have no idea where she and the others are. I have heard from the Weasley's that two of their lot is gone too – possibly they fought together. Richard is beside himself with worry. He blames Hermione's disappearance on her wizardring friends. I know they are not to blame._

_            After all, its only because there are no letters of improvement from Hermione that he realized something was wrong. I'm quite sure he wouldn't notice if she had died. I would, I know, I'm her mother. But… I know Hermione's still alive. I step into her room and I feel like she was there. I feel as if I can feel her heartbeat. It's steady and strong. Until I cannot feel that… I will not give up hope._

-- From Catherine Granger's diary, London, England

            Oliver kept the group going as far as they could before stopping for rest. Once they found a city near London, they stopped and secluded themselves in an alley.

            "Now where?" asked George as he shrunk his Firebolt. The group did the same and looked at Padma. 

            "We're nearly there," she whispered. "We can make it by tonight, I hope, if there are no Death Eaters walking around."

            She began to walk away from the alley when Fred's hand grabbed her upper arm. 

            "Wait," he whispered. "It will look too weird. We'll go in pairs."

            Padma nodded and Fred offered his arm to her. Oliver made sure everyone was ready and led him or her out as inconspicuous as they could. No one offered a second glance, but nerves ran high.

            Padma was muttering directions to George who would turn, laugh at Fred and tell him. They soon turned onto the right lane, and Hermione's house came into view. A large Victorian stood gallantly on the block, with nicely trimmed flowers and large oak trees. 

            Padma went up the block and through the gate. Though nearly ten, she was sure that the Grangers would remember her from so long ago.

            Letting the large brass handle drop, she waited for the door to open. Finally, she heard scuffling. 

            "Yes?" asked a nice-looking lady. She looked down and peered at Padma. "Aren't you… that Parvati girl?"

            "Padma, her twin sister," replied Padma. Mrs. Granger paled and said hurriedly, "we don't want you here… none of you."

            "Please!" begged Padma. "We have a way of saving your daughter," the twenty-one year old plead. "We think we know where they are banished, but we need a place to rest for the night… we already lost three of our number a week into the journey… we're…"

            To her embarrassment, Padma began to cry. Mrs. Granger looked back into the house. 

            "Well… all right. How many of you?" she asked, opening the door wider. 

            "Five," she replied. 

            "Only?" Mrs. Granger's eyes widened. "Out of eight?"

            Padma nodded. She looked back and motioned the others to follow. They slowly appeared out of the darkest areas of the lawn. Mrs. Granger gasped. 

            She nodded at Fred and George, who looked solemn and sad. Her heart ached for them. 

            "Come in, quickly now, we don't want any Death Eaters looking about, do we?" she asked, ushering them in. 

            They grinned lightly at her and entered the house. She led them to the living room, where a fire cackled and burn merrily in the fireplace.

            Settling them into the couch, she offered them coffee or tea. The unanimous vote was hot chocolate and sleep. She smiled slightly. 

            "Of course," she said, nodding. She made five cups of hot chocolate and brought out blankets for each of them and pillows. "Now, I'm afraid my husband has taken a dislike to wizards and witches… please forgive him if he… gets angry."

            "We understand," said Fred. "You lost your only daughter, we lost that day our baby brother and sister, and yesterday out older brother. We know how you feel."

            Mrs. Granger's eyes welled up with tears. "You poor dears. Make yourself comfortable."

            They murmured their thanks and succumbed to their nightmares and dreams.

**~**

            When Oliver awoke, he saw Mrs. Granger about in the kitchen making breakfast for the whole group. No one else was awake.

            He carefully pushed back his blanket and crawled out around Fred, who had slept on the floor by the couch, he was on. 

            Tiptoeing around him, he walked into the kitchen wearing the same clothes he wore the day before. He sniffed the air and felt his stomach growl. "Smells delicious, Mrs. Granger."

            Mrs. Granger looked up. "Please. Catherine."

            Oliver nodded. "Catherine. I can't thank you enough for allowing us to stay here the night… it was a terrible risk on your part."

            "It was nothing… not for friends of Hermione's," her voice broke at the end and she placed the plate in her hands down. "I wish I knew whether or not she was alive."

            "I'm sure she is," replied Oliver. He placed a hand on Catherine's shoulder. "I think they all are. The… the legend now is that Voldemort used an old spell on them… one straight from the Latin days of lore."

            "Latin?" Catherine's interest perked. "I have an old Latin spell book – or so my mother said," she laughed.

            Oliver stopped smiling. "Catherine? You do?"

            "Yes… would it be helpful?" she asked.

            "I think it might save their lives." Oliver replied, evenly. He stared at Catherine who was about to say something when a knock at the door startled her.

            "I wonder who that could be," she mused. As she walked by Oliver, he caught her.

            "Don't… it may be a Death Eater," he whispered. The doorbell rang this time, followed by an impatient knock. "If it's a mailman, he'll leave it there… anyone else will give up…"

            Catherine nodded. "To the library," she mouthed. "That's where the book is. There is also a nice secret room off the to turret. You gather your friends. Hide, quickly."

            Oliver nodded and started carefully back to the living room. Shaking awake everyone and making sure they were quiet, he used hand motions. "Bring the blankets," he mouthed. 

            The five then crept into the library, dark and musty and smelling of books. Catherine was waiting for them. 

            "Here," she hushed. Clicking a button underneath a shelf, the shelving swung backwards to reveal a narrow entrance. "Quickly!" the person at the door was becoming more persistent. 

            Oliver went last through the doorway. She handed him wordlessly a piece of paper and went to answer the door. The group hurried into the dark room and up the stairs to where the turret ended. They heard the shelving fall back into place and the doorbell stop ringing.

            A few words were exchanged between Catherine Granger and the person. The next thing the group heard was a thump. 

            Someone was dead, and it wasn't too hard to guess whom. Oliver let his head roll onto his chest. 

            He opened his fist and read in what little light they had, _Book of Shadows, my Grandmother's spell book. Under the alphabetical letter 'W', look for Wallace._

            Oliver let the paper crumple and he stifled a sob. Hermione's mother was doing so much for them, on the account of what their kind had done to her daughter. 

            The group said nothing as more feet entered the house. Raised voices could be heard between what must have been Mr. Granger and a wizard. 

            The footsteps reached the library below them. It seemed like forever until they disappeared. 

            "Can you hear anything?" whispered Oliver. 

            Cho put up a finger to silence them. She had always had amazing hearing. After a few minutes, she mouthed, "They're gone. Not coming back."

            "Sleep for a bit," replied Oliver. "If they're gone, they won't be here tonight."

            Instead, the group opened Malfoy's papers and began to search through them using a lighter Fred and George had in their pockets. 

            "Comes in handy," they shrugged. 

**~**

            Hours later, the group had stretched out and the pile of ashes on the floor had grown. They burnt many documents that had evidence to the assassinations of Fudge, Karkaroff and many well-known politicians. 

            "HERE!" whispered a hoarse Padma. She was pointing at a yellow book page. She read aloud, _"The Fellowship has been taken to the desert of O'Sahar, where they will be cast away in a tall tower. They are all locked forever in their icy cages until the reversed spell can be found. I myself do not know what the spell is. _

_            I go there once in a while to visit my weakling of a son, Draco Malfoy. I wish to thaw him out to kill him personally, but the Dark Lord wishes this not; I am to only look, but not touch. _

_            I have written the directions down in order for the body of my late wife's to be transported there. However, I am not too sure anymore._"

            Padma then read aloud the directions. The group grinned at each other. 

            "That was easy," laughed quietly Fred. 

            Oliver nodded. "To the desert of O'Sahar we go." He yawned. "After we sleep."

            The vote on that was agreeable.

**~**

            Flying to O'Sahar was harder than the group had thought. Worry of Fleur and Percy stayed in their mind as they rode towards the desert. 

            However, while this was mainly on the other's mind, Oliver thought only of Catherine Granger who they found dead at the front door. Her husband's body was on the stairs and even their goldfish were dead. 

            While the other's cleaned up, ate some cold breakfast that was still out for them, Oliver stayed in the library and found the spell book of Catherine's grandmother. He began to flip through it, only to realize that there were hundreds upon thousands of pages in her BOS. His heart sunk, but he took it with him in hopes that Hermione could possibly open and decipher it.

            Finally, the grassy plains beneath them began to vary. Sand began to take form. 

            "Oliver, we're almost there – look!" Padma laughed. Ahead of them was a large tower. As they neared, they could see that it was in the shape of a Queen. The top of her crown, thought, was flat. The points came sharply up to make sure no aerial landing was possibly.

            At her feet was the opening to the tower. Oliver turned back to Padma. "Any traps written of?"

            "None. Just the thawing we need to work on." Answered Padma. Oliver nodded and stared ahead. They were zipping over the sand quickly. They reached the tower within minutes. 

            Shrinking their broomsticks, they placed them in their pockets again and walked to the front door. 

            Inside, it was much cooler than the scorching heat of the desert sun. The marble floor was white and smooth. The groups' shoes squeaked on the clean floor. 

            They paused, aware, but heard and saw no movement. They then proceeded to move forward. Oliver led them up the staircase, a circular wrought-iron railing with flowers and ivies as the railings support.

            They walked in circles for hours it seemed until they reached the uppermost floor. There, the floor was red, like blood, and at the end of the hallway was an open chestnut door.

            Oliver motioned them forward with him. They walked down the red marble hallway, not glancing up at the designs in the tapestries that hung beside them. They were pictures of Voldemort's reign for the past four years. 

            Blanching, the group avoided their gazes and tried not to think of the grotesque tapestries. Finally reaching the doorway, Oliver walked in the room. He checked magically that no alarms had been tripped throughout the whole journey, and this room he was extra wary of. 

            He leaned against a blue-white pillar. "Whew. All right, mates, let's find the Fellowship."

            "Oliver… you mind standing?" asked Cho, smirking slightly.

            "Why?"

            "You're leaning against Ginny Weasley. Or, at least, what looks like a twenty year old Ginny," replied Cho. George and Fred gasped, and went into the middle of the room. 

            Beneath them, the pattern was of an arrow pointing at each pillar. In the middle of the arrow was a circle and inside the circle was a symbol. 

            The one Oliver had been leaning against had a unicorn in it. Beside hers was a Weasel, beside that a lion with a crown, then a book with magic coming out of it, a herb, beside that one a canvas with a scene displayed on the tiny picture, then a dragon, a dove, and finally the last two were a snake and two wands like the Beuxbatons crest. 

            The five looked startled as they looked back in the faces of the fellowship, which had know befallen as a legend. 

            Fred traced the face through the cold ice of Ron. He had also changed from his eighteen year old self. His face had gotten sharper, gangly. His shoulder's broader. Lavender Brown, his girlfriend, had healed the wounds she had received that day, and her glossy blonde hair was curly and her figure athletic. 

            George looked back and forth from Draco and Ginny. Ginny's hair was twice as long as he had remembered; it was now halfway down her back, and she was full-figured. Draco had choppy white-blond hair, and his figures were gaunt and sharp, but nonetheless strong. 

            Harry Potter had changed the most: his glasses were frosty, so no one could see his eyes. His scar had faded to a light skin colour distortion, his body athletic and lanky. 

            Dean Thomas was stocky with strong muscles, his hair cut like one in the military. His robes were splitting from his chest growth. 

            Seamus Finnigan could have passes as a computer geek, as his hair was in a 60's retro look, his body tall and gangly. But he was still handsome, not hot. 

            Neville Longbottom was no longer the chubby boy at school – he had matured into a strikingly handsome man with thick brown hair and a thin figure that seemed like the perfect hero's body, while Blaise Zabini had shrunk in strength but seemed to have excelled in looks. Once a greasy-looking kid in school, though strong, he was know only slightly buff with a large forehead but the hairstyle to suit it. 

            Oliver was gasping at the girl in front of him. She was gorgeous, he decided. She had slightly curly at the end brown glossy hair. Her lashes were long and curled to perfection, her lips sensuous. Her figure was curvaceous and her robes clung tightly to the right places. All the girls, the men concluded, were gorgeous.

            _But,_ Oliver concluded, _she was the best looking out of them all_.

            "Oliver?" asked Padma, staring at him. Oliver turned. "How do we get them thawed out?"

            He sighed, settled down in front of Hermione – which he didn't realize it was she – and opened Catherine Granger's spell book. 

            "I got this from Catherine Granger. It's an old Latin spell book, so maybe it will have the reversed spell."

            The group huddled around him, and watched as they flipped through the pages. Finally, as Cho was going cross-eyed, she cried, her finger coming down on the page before Oliver flipped it.

            "Hmm?" he read the entry. "_To undo the Glacialis curse, simple point one's wand at the frozen living organism, and say "Tabidus, tabidus, tabidus". This shall melt – or thaw – away the icy cage around the living creature. However, the same person can only say this spell twice in a lifetime, as it requires much energy. If used too often, it may result death._"

            Oliver licked his lips as he looked around the four other people. "There's ten of them," he whispered.

            Fred and George nodded. "I've got those four," they said in unison, pointing at Ron, Ginny, Draco, and Lavender.

            Cho walked over to Harry and Blaise, and Padma decided on Dean and Neville. 

            Oliver sighed. _So I've got the gorgeous girl and Seamus Finnigan._ He pointed his wand first at Seamus and shouted, "Tabidus, tabidus, tabidus!" 

            The others echoed the spell, and its words bounced off the circular room. At first, the novelty of thawing the Fellowship ran high, but as the seconds passed and the ice didn't melt, the group felt disappointed. 

            "Well, there goes one life out of two," muttered Fred darkly. 

            "Wait!" Padma cried, jumping back. At her feet forming was a puddle of water. The ice had begun to melt, and it was cracking as it condensed. 

            Oliver looked up and watched as ice splintered off Seamus' ice cage. Once the top half dissolved and larger pieces cracked, Seamus' eyes fluttered open. Oliver laughed jovially as Seamus looked around. 

            "Whoa," he said hoarsely. "So I take it I'm not dead?" Oliver helped him step out of the crumbling ice bits. Holding onto him tightly, Seamus nearly tripped on a slippery piece of ice beneath his feet. 

            "Oliver Wood?" he asked, looking at the man helping him. Oliver grinned. 

            "Glad you remember, Finnigan. I saw you play in your sixth year on the Quidditch team. Amazing player, you are," he said. Seamus laughed, his rough voice beginning to loosen up.

            Looking around, he saw Ron and Ginny out of their cages, and Neville and Harry. Harry was already talking and standing on his own, by Ron and Ginny, helping them down. 

            "Well, what are you waiting for, Wood? Get Hermione out, will you?" Seamus laughed. When Oliver didn't answer, he looked at him. "Oliver?"

            "That's Hermione Granger?" he choked out. Oliver looked back at the gorgeous girl. Seamus also did, whistling. 

            "Wow. Hermione sure filled out these months nicely, hadn't she?" he asked. 

            Oliver tore his gaze from her. "Months?" he laughed hoarsely. "You have no idea how long you've been in here, have you?"

            Seamus shook his head. 

            "Four years, four months, and two days," replied Oliver. Seamus' eyes widened. 

            "No shit," he replied. Then he looked back at Hermione. "Well, I did wonder," he said, scratching his head.

            Sighing, Oliver pointed his wand at the girl's ice cage and said the three magic words over again. "Tabidus, tabidus, tabidus."

            Seamus and Oliver waited patiently for Hermione's cage to thaw out.

**~**

            _Hmm, how many days would it be now that I've been stuck in this cage? Months? Days only? Hours? I have completely no sense of time here._ Hermione thought, a REM cycle going on beneath her fluttering eyelids. 

            _I wonder how Mother is, and Father. Are they both well? I wonder if they fed — MY GOD, what was that? I… I thought I could slightly move my left hand… no, I must have been dreaming. _

_            Anyway. It's hard to believe that this is the way we are now. Defeated, disgusting. At least not dead… now here's a scream, can you see us being thawed out hundreds of years later only to be dead once we get out of this? I wonder if – there! Again, I moved of right hand now… am I thawing out?_

_            Are we free?_ Hermione's thoughts stopped abruptly as she forced herself to open her eyes up. At first, the light was blinding, but she realized it wasn't from the ice that created this light – it was from the sun. _The sun!_ Her mind screamed. 

            Hermione's eyes were instantly open, regardless to the blinding pain she was in. 

            "Can you move? Hermione, lift you left foot. Careful now, ice is everywhere," Seamus' voice penetrated the emptiness of Hermione's mind. 

            She looked around, and found him talking. However, he looked nothing like his teenager self. Had seen changed too? _Oh Merlin's beard, I must look like a mess!_

            A warm hand caught hers. She looked at the fuzzy figure. Tall, handsome, no ring on his finger, hmmm, all these ran through her head as she clung to him as he lifted her from the ice cage. 

            Finally, the room came into focus and her eyes adjusted to the light. It was actually twilight, so she would have the night and daylight change to adjust. 

            "Hermione?" a familiar voice coughed. Hermione turned and saw Ron bending slightly over, rubbing and cold spot on his arm. 

            "RON!" She cried, running over and hugging him. She was glad he was all right. 

            "Hermione, glad you're okay," another voice said. Hermione let go and saw Harry. She cried out his name too and hugged him tightly – possibly tighter than Ron – she had always had a soft spot for Harry. 

            She then turned and trotted over to Seamus and her rescuer. "Oh, I can't thank you enough," she said, grasping his hand.

            "It's no, not a problem," he choked out. Hermione noticed something in his hands. She looked at it. 

            "What's this?" she asked, pointing. 

            "Uh… Catherine Granger's mother's BOS," he coughed slightly. 

            "Catherine Granger?" Hermione replied doubtfully. "Are you sure?"

            "Yes," the man said. He looked like he wanted out as soon as possible. He looked her in the eye and said, "Hermione… I'm sorry, but your parents died last night, protecting us to arrive her safely."

            Hermione shook her head and let go of the man's hand. "No," she mouthed. "No."

            She then felt her knees go weak, not from the numbness that she had experienced and unknowingly felt for over four years, but because of the loss of family.

            The man caught her and hefted her easily into his arms. Seamus walked beside them nervously. 

            "I think we should get out of here. The last place we went was fired from book to floor," said Oliver, shifted the weight of Hermione in his arms. 

            The large group agreed, but there were some slight complications. 

            "Not enough brooms," said Draco. 

            "We pair up," offered Fred. 

            The group agreed. As they paired up, old loves (meaning Ron and Lavender) were reunited, and new ones were about to be established (Ginny and Draco). Fred and George opted for sharing a broom, while Ron and Lavender could have Fred's; Blaise was with Cho; Draco and Ginny on what had been Fleur's; Seamus and Neville on Padma's; Dean and Padma together on Oliver's.

            However, this left Hermione, Oliver, and Harry were left broomless. 

            "Can we _Accio_ a broom?" asked Blaise. Harry shook his head; too far away. 

            "How about transform one?" asked a weary Oliver. 

            "From what?" asked Harry. Hermione tiredly, and slightly fizzed, asked, "how about the ice?"

            "Could work," laughed Harry. He pointed his fingertip at a large piece of ice and shouted, "converto gelo!"

            The five newcomers watched in amazement as the ice transformed into two speedy Firebolts. 

            "Wow," was all Oliver could say. Harry grinned at him. 

            "Come on, we don't have all day. Now," he said, jumping on to the broom, Oliver behind him on the other, detained a bit by Hermione's discomforted before she passed out. "Where can we go to get everyone together?"

            "Uh…" the five searchers shared lost glances. "Everywhere we have gone… has been searched, destroyed or invaded."

            "Hmm… not a bad record," laughed Ron. "Hogwarts?"

            Fred snorted. "Please. Hogwarts was destroyed the day you ten were frozen. It's now the base for Voldemort."

            "What?" snapped Harry, turning to face Fred. "Impossible! What about Dumbledore? When we were caught he was still alive!"

            "And he still is," replied a weary Cho from in front of Blaise. "He was stripped of his magic a while back, and now is no more than a Muggle."

            There was a tense silence before someone whispered, "How long have we been frozen?"

            Oliver repeated, "four years, four months and two days."

            Dean laughed. "Make that three for Hermione."

            However, this was overrun with a soft, "thirteen or any of its factors are bad numbers for a witch or wizard," from Draco.

            Nothing was spoken after that.


	4. Chapter Three: Tainted Love

Pandora's Box

_Kneazle_

_DC: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot._

_AN: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, later on, the Renaissance become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: they fight and teach!  [Feb. 10, 02]_

**-**

**_Sometimes I feel I've got to  
Run away I've got to  
Get away  
From the pain that you drive into the heart of me_**_ – Marilyn Manson_

_ "Tainted Love"_

**~**

Chapter Three

The group soared high above the clouds as they spotted Ottery St. Catchpole once again in the distance. It had been months since the elder Weasleys had been home, but years for the youngest. 

Arthur and Molly Weasley spent each night staring out the window facing the street until well past midnight, hoping for news about their sons and daughter. They had received word from one of the professors at Hogwarts under Voldemort's reign that Percy and Fleur had been captured but were only locked away in a cell, as they both seemed not to remember what they were looking for. 

Arthur stared out the window, looking at the horizon for some familiar broomsticks. 

"Anything?" whispered Molly Weasley. She had aged considerably since she had last seen her younger, as wisps of gray had somehow managed to find its way in her hair. Worry lines creased around her eyes and mouth. 

"No," sighed Arthur. He too, had aged. As he turned away from the window, he blew out a single candle in the window still. Its wispy smoke formed swirls up against the windowpane. 

Molly sniffed. "At times, I believe I can almost hear them."

_"MUM! Mum, we did it! They're home!"_

"So can I, dear, so can I," gently said Arthur, placing a hand on her shoulder. They turned away from the window, only to look up when a louder, "MUM!" was shouted. 

"What?" they lit the candle again, and there, soaring down and out of some clouds were seven broomsticks. 

Arthur ran outside, staring up at the figures, his wand out and ready to protect his home. However, the closer the brooms got, the more his grip loosened. Finally, as the riders swept through the streets of Ottery, they appeared from the town, zooming up the walkway. 

"Dad! Mum!" shouted one, a familiar voice. 

"Molly!" shouted Arthur, barely glancing back. Molly ran out of the house and stood beside her husband. 

"Arthur? Is it… is it really them?" she sobbed, as they neared. There, on the first few brooms, were Ron, Ginny, Fred and George. As they came closer, these four Weasleys jumped off the brooms, letting the ones behind them guide it. Fred and George's, however, kept going until it bumped into the Burrow's door.

Molly grabbed Ron and Ginny and hugged them tightly to her as she allowed herself to cry. Ginny and Ron were both sniffing, clinging to their mother. 

"Mum!" whispered Ginny, never wanting to let go. Ron had broken away and was now hugging his father. Ginny turned and saw Arthur and was soon in his embrace too.

The rest of the crew looked on happily as the youngest Weasleys were all reunited. Ginny then sniffed, wiped the back of her hand against her nose and laughed shakily, "Where are the others?"

Molly and Arthur shared a glance, and looked back at the rest of the crew. "Why don't you all come inside?" she asked, softly. The group obliged, wondering what was going on.

**~**

            While Molly busied herself in the kitchen, creating this magnificent feast, Arthur filled them in on Percy and Fleur. 

            Oliver, their new leader, sat on the couch with Hermione still passed out on his shoulder. Harry was on the other side, also taking care of her. 

            "What about Charlie and Bill? How are they? Is there any way to make a renaissance?" he asked. Arthur shook his head.

            "Many wizards and witches were captured while your lot had been off traveling to find our heroes. Even we were taken to have our powers striped of us," sighed Arthur. "However, we still have most of our powers. Magic is a funny thing, really."

            "What? Stripped?" asked Blaise, "How?"

            "Voldemort feared somewhere there would be another Harry Potter to rival him, so he sent his Death Eaters out around the world and found all the witches and wizards and magical beings they could," explained Molly as she walked in from the kitchen to the living room where everyone was cramped around. "They would point their wands at you, say something along the lines of an ancient song, and"—

            "Goodbye powers. However…" Arthur stopped talking when Hermione stirred. 

            Hermione's eyes opened. The room was slightly dark and she wondered where she was when she saw Harry a few feet away from her. 

            "How are you?" he asked.

            "Got a killer headache," she mumbled. "Where are we?"

            "The Burrow," said Ron. He kneeled at Hermione's side. "Feeling better? We can give you some Muggle pills."

            "Of course dear," inserted Molly. Hermione smiled warmly up at her. "Please. Advil."

            Molly nodded and disappeared. 

            "What's this that I heard about stripping powers?" yawned Hermione, sitting upright. She had been leaning against Oliver Wood, and she smiled warmly up at him as she straightened herself up. 

            Before anyone answered, Molly appeared with Hermione's painkiller and announced dinner was ready. They talked over dinner.

            "So what's the deal, that you guys can still do magic?" asked Dean, munching thoughtfully on his beef roast. 

            "Magic isn't something we're born with and then use up, Dean," interrupted Hermione. Ron, Harry, Draco, Dean, Seamus and Ginny all groaned. Padma hid a smile and Cho outright laughed. 

            "There she goes again, Professor Granger," laughed Blaise. He, Padma and Cho were the only ones who could really rival her brains. 

            Glaring at them, Hermione continued, "Magic comes from the Earth itself – it's not something we own or have to control. In essence, magic controls _us_. We were gifted with a way to channel the energy so we can use it. However, the larger the channel the more powerful we become.

            "Now, let's take Voldemort for example. Think of channels like holes in your body. The large the hole is, the more energy or magic can pass through. The lesser the hole, the more Muggle you become. So, if you take in the factor of how strong and powerful Voldemort is, then you are safe to assume that his channel is very large." Hermione took a deep breath, explaining it all very fast, but nonetheless, everyone was listening to her.

            "Can we make the holes larger?" asked Fred, waving a drumstick in the air.

            "Of course. Now, since the ten of us weren't stripped of any power, magic still flower through us while we were frozen. Hard to believe, but while we were frozen, our magical abilities grew along with our physically bodies. Our psyche became aware of this power, but we consciously have not notice any radical changes. I believe that we – as we posed threat to Voldemort – have increased out magical 'hole' to be quite large." Hermione grinned at the group, while spooning up some peas. "Now… to test this, I would like each of us in turn try to move the salt shaker to one's self. I believe that any witch or wizard given time would be able to do this. This is my theory as magic itself will forever flow through you, and only if you embrace it will it be welcomed into your life as we were blessed.

            "Even thought witches and wizards were stripped of power, it will be slowly returning to them, everyday, like a faucet dripping water. The bowl below will collect this water, and over a longer period of time that empty bowl will be filled. We can increase our magical abilities, I _know_ we can," said Hermione, looking around the table. "We just have to will it to happen. We **can** beat Voldemort. We can."

            The people at the table, moved by her explanation and speech, nodding and soon were clapping. Hermione blushed and ducked her head. She then placed her wand down on the tabletop and stretched her hand out. Narrowing her eyes, she focused solely on the saltshaker and within seconds it was in her hand, and she had sprinkled salt over her mashes potatoes.

            Harry then did the same thing; only he wrenched it from her hand. Hermione gasped and pulled it mentally back. They then became engrossed in a mental game of tug-of-war until it flew out from both of their mid-mind battle. Both turned and saw Draco calmly shaking it in his hands. 

            Molly and Arthur laughed. "Bravo, bravo," said Molly, clapping. "Unbelievable. Ginny? Ron? Why don't you try?"

            "Don't need to Mum," replied Ginny. She winked and showed off by her plate lifting itself off the table and the mashed potato scooped had scooped out more servings on her plate.

            Ron laughed and muttered an, "oh yeah?" and soon had Ginny's plate contents on his. Laughing, the whole table of the ten renaissances had things flying everywhere. 

            The laughter stopped when a calm Oliver Wood had looked up to see a whack of mashed potatoes land on his face. Someone gasped while someone next to him giggled. 

            Turning, Oliver tried to keep a straight face as he wiped the potatoes off. "And who did that?"

            Nearly every finger pointed to Fred and George Weasley who had disappeared from the table. The giggling got louder. Oliver turned to see Hermione trying to cover her mouth with her hand. 

            "Are you laughing at me?" asked Oliver, mock horror. "Are you? Hermione Granger… laughing at me?"

            Hermione shook her head, but the giggles became louder. He placed his fork underneath some potatoes on his plate and held it up, his index finger ready to flick it back; the contents faced Hermione.

            "I think this is a fashionable look, don't you say?" he asked. Hermione shook her head. "Perhaps you'd like to wear it?" again she shook her head, but he flicked the potatoes. Hermione's pretty face was pasty and lumpy with potatoes. 

            Molly groaned. "My dinner!"

            Hermione stopped laughing. She wiped the lumpy food off her face and blinked at Oliver. Then next two words she said shocked and made the renaissance fighters laugh.

            "FOOD FIGHT!" she screamed, mentally shooting bowls and plates at the people. The only two people not engaged in the fight were Molly and Arthur who watched from their end of the table while the others stood and hid behind people. 

            "It's good for them to be back," Molly whispered, wiping a tear away. Arthur placed a hand on her shoulders and squeezed gently. 

            "I know. I know," he whispered back.

**-**

            Night welcomed and embraced the ten renaissance fighters as they sat in a row behind the Weasley house. They sat on the grass, staring up at the sky. 

            No stars shined, though the sky was clear of any cloud or shadow.

            "It seems odd, doesn't it?" mused aloud Lavender. "No stars to guide one's way at night."

            "Well, who would it guide?" asked Ron, rhetorically. "The Muggles are in hiding, knowing that we wizards are strong and in power."

            "So? What about a few plain wizards out there… the ones who eluded capture?" snapped back Dean. If one were to hear the group, it would seem as if they were fighting, but the silly banters they threw at one another was a simple game of quick-thinker.

            "Perhaps there are a few out there. We should find them," supplied the quiet Hermione. After her speech and surprise "food fight" declaration, she had toned down to somber, wearing black for her parents.

            Harry glanced over at her, barely seeing her. Her black pants, shoes, and gothic-style web shirt meshed easily in the darkness of the night.

            "And how would we go around finding them? It's a sure bet that Voldemort knows we are free now," said Harry.

            "Is it? When we left, I checked for wire trips and magical trips," jumped in Draco. "I found none."

            Back by the Burrow, Fred, George and Oliver stood just outside but far enough to watch them carefully. 

            "Any idea as to what they're talking about?" Fred asked.

            "None," sighed George. "We're talking about a bunch of twenty year olds. I doubt we'll ever reckon what they're thinking."

            "I know," came Oliver's Scottish voice. Fred and George turned to him.

            "Well?"

            "They're talking about saving us all. They're not teenagers or normal young adults," he began. "They're weighing a burden much heavier than we can ever imagine. The fate of the world is in their hands, and they need all the luck they can get from fate right about now."

            "They're wise beyond their years," said George, catching on. Oliver nodded, and Fred's own eyes widened. 

            "So what can we do?" asked Fred softly.

            "We believe in them. We have hope," replied Oliver, before turning and disappearing into the Burrow.

**-**

            In the morning, the whole group, minus Molly and Arthur, sat around the Burrow's magically large kitchen table. They had pieces of parchment in front of them, ideas scribbled quickly down. It was a meeting to decide their next course of action.

            Harry began, as their leader, "what we need, Renaissance, is to establish what new powers we have, how we can go around to find Death Eaters and attack them, and how we can help wizards and witches receive their powers again. We asked one another these questions last night and you all had the night to think your answers though. Oliver's group will listen in and object or add to anything that we do not know of. The table is open for suggestions now."

            Blaise stood. "As for helping magical folk, finding them without magical ministry maps are nearly impossible. Even if this were possible, how would we find near-Muggles now? Wouldn't the map be confused with regular Muggles? I don't believe we have the technology for that objective yet."

            Harry nodded and pointed at Ginny, who had her hand raised. "Right. To find the Death Eaters and attack methodically… I can only think of one technique. It's where we find out what we can about every Death Eater; study them until our brains hurt. Once we know their daily routines down to knowing what they'll do before they do it, _then_ we attack. We can take out the forces one by one, without knowing what hit them. They can go down within a week."

            Harry thought about this and nodded. "Good. Compose a team and we'll start right away."

            Ginny nodded, gathered her papers together and wrote on them in messy chicken scratch. She then did her hair quickly up with an empty Muggle pen in a messy make-sift bun. 

            "And our powers?" asked Harry. A few members shifted in their seats. "Nothing? Hermi?"

            Hermione, seated next to Oliver (all in black again), shook her head. "There's no way to know what powers we have, what mutations, Harry. Only if we test them out can we know."

            "And how can we do this?" asked Draco. Seamus nodded from Hermione's other side, leaning over her shoulder to peek at her notes. There were at least ten pages in small writing.

            She swatted Seamus away, and Oliver felt a pang in the lower regions of his stomach. "Seamus, Draco… I have no idea what powers we have. Just because our channel has widened doesn't mean we're superheroes or anything."

            "But your theory at dinner…" Ron trailed off.

            "A plain theory that I guessed and got correct," sighed Hermione, running a hand through her messy hair. "I can only say we watch X-Men, read Marvel comics and then do some of the stuff they do."

            Harry and the other Muggleborns in that group (meaning Lavender, Seamus and Padma) laughed whole-heartedly. "All right, Wonder Woman, what do you suggest we do?"

            Hermione looked up and smiled. "What else, Harry? Practice, practice, practice."

            Harry nodded and then shuffled his parchment. "Well, then the last issue is as so: where are we going to set up HQ?"

            The group shifted. Molly and Arthur, who had walked in at that moment, asked, "what? You're leaving already?"

            Ron shook his head. "No, no, Mum. We're coming up with plans, but sooner or later, to not endanger you, we'll be leaving."

            "And where are you going to go?" Arthur asked, seating himself in a vacant chair.

            Harry shrugged, "no idea yet. Any ideas, Renaissance?"

            No one murmured anything. 

            "Ideas, people," sighed Oliver, asking his own group to come up with ideas. He rubbed his temples and proceeded to look at his group all in the eye. They squirmed but finally, Fred suggested.

            "Well, we need it somewhere where we can zip place to place, don't we?" he asked. Harry nodded. "Preferably far enough away from Voldemort that he doesn't know where we are, but someone close enough to know where all his men are."

            "Well," piped up Cho, coughing into her hand. "There is this one place…"

**-**

            Days later, the Renaissance and Oliver's group arrived on the ground in Northern England, bordering Scotland. Though Voldemort's HQ was Hogwarts, known to be in Northern Scotland, Harry figured they were relatively half-way between his Death Eater HQ in London to his own main HQ at Hogwarts, where he taught younger Slytherins and changed Ravenclaws, Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs the way of a Death Eater.

            "Can you believe there is actually a code?" asked incredulously, Lavender, telling them on their way to the new location. 

            Hermione hoped that they would be able to locate a near by lake, possibly one near a bog, so they could use the foggy landscape to hide their headquarters. This would provide visual distortion, so no one would be able to see them. Hermione and the other Renaissance would then cast powerful concealing, protection, alarm, invisible and other charms to protect their new investment. 

            But first, they had to build this HQ.

            "What?" asked Ron, one of the only few listening. The others were intent on flying straight to their destination without Death Eater alerts. Fred, George, Dean and Seamus flew low to the ground, ready to spring up and alert the others, high above in the clouds, of any news. 

            So far, they were safe. 

            At this thought, Oliver licked his lips and flew over to where Hermione flew gracefully, one hand on the broom's handle and the other resting on her right knee. She rode sidesaddle, her scarf billowing out behind her. She was still dressed in black, and Oliver overheard her talking to Ginny, asking how long she would wear it. "Until I die or someone who loves me and I love back asks me to marry them," she replied. Oliver swung up beside her.

            "Hey," he said quietly. 

            "Hullo," she replied. She glanced over at him. "Is there…?"

            "Oh, no, actually, I just wanted to know if you wanted to talk," he blurted, then added, "you seemed a bit sad and you looked like you wanted to talk so I came here to ask if you wanted to talk 'cause you looked like it…"

            "Oliver?"

            "Yes?"

            "It's okay. You don't have to explain yourself," smiled Hermione. She glanced quickly over at him, smiling sweetly. "Anyway. It'll… be interesting… re-doing some of the old castles and manors in the older regions."

            "Hmm."

            "A lot of wonderful Renaissance architecture, actually," supplied Hermione. Oliver glanced curiously over at her. 

            "And you know how…?" he asked.

            She grinned at him sheepishly. "I ran out of books at Hogwarts by my sixth year. I had to buy books in Hogsmeade and stock them in my dorm room. Parvati and Lavender were so mad."

            She sighed, smiling back at the memory. "OH! Where is Parvati now?"

            Oliver paused; should he tell her the truth? "She's… she joined the Death Eaters a while back as a spy. A few months later, she was convicted as a traitor and killed."

            Hermione gasped. "Oh no!" She glanced over at Padma. "Does… Padma know?"

            "Yes. She knew since the moment Parvati died." Oliver looked sad, and Hermione wondered if he harbored any feelings for Parvati. "She saved a lot of us, stopping many Death Eater attacks before many wizards and witches were stripped."

            "I see," whispered Hermione. "All more a reason to wear black."

            Oliver said nothing, but the two continued to fly next to each other in a comfortable, sad, silence.

            Harry glanced over his shoulder, from flying next to Draco and laughed quietly. 

            "What's so funny, Potter?" sneered Draco. It seemed that old habits were hard to break. 

            Harry grinned at him, "Look over your shoulder," he advised.

            Draco did, and let his eyes roam over the groups – Lavender, Ron, Ginny, Cho and Padma flying in a clump together, Blaise a few paces behind them and Oliver and Hermione flying relatively close – wait, _Wood and Granger_? Draco's head snapped around to face Harry. 

            "Wood and Granger?" he gaped. Blaise flew up to join the two. 

            "What??" he asked, butting in.

            "They've been around each other since Oliver thawed her out of her cage," informed Harry. "I've been watching them from afar, every day. They grow closer and stronger together every minute."

            "Jealous?" Draco smirked.

            "No. I think of Hermione like a brother would a sister. But… if that's the case, I won't let Oliver hurt her," replied Harry. Draco and Blaise nodded.

            No one did want to mess with an angry Harry Potter. Not unless they had a death wish.

**-**

            The group landed safely and without any interruptions by nightfall, in what they hoped was still England or Scotland. The Renaissance had been informed of all changes, and Muggle compasses were useless to find magnetic north. 

            The building they hoped to occupy, Bingingham Castle, was more run down than Cho had remembered, and the group suddenly realized they had a lot of work cut out for them.

            That night, they set a fire up, making a Muggle campsite. They sat in a circle, and Harry asked, "What does everyone want to do once we defeat Voldemort?"

            The group stirred a little, but thought it over, nevertheless. Hermione, lying on the ground on her stomach, picked at the grass and whispered, "I want to avenge my parents and all those who Voldemort killed. Bring him to justice… but afterwards… I want to study the history of magic and magical creatures… by traveling around the world, save creatures that way."

            Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling gently down at her. "I, too, want to avenge those who have been killed or taken."

            Draco, Blaise and Harry shared a look, and Ron, sitting next to Harry, only smirked. _It's too obvious,_ he thought. 

            Lavender sighed. "I want to get married to the guy I love and just stay at home, acting out the role of a housewife. Or become a fashion designer." She laughed. "I doubt that will come in handy during our battles."

            Ginny: "I want to go into the Ministry of Magic," she sighed dreamily, placing her head in her hands as she rested her elbows on her knees. "I want to organize pep rallies, fund-raisers. Oh God, I want to be a PTA-Mom."

            Draco laughed at her and kissed her on the temple. "Anything you want and I'll give it to you."

            Ginny blushed scarlet and Draco endured Ron, Fred and George's glares. According to those three, they wanted to go together as partners and increase WWW's sales tenfold, coming up with new ideas, and Ron being their designer. 

            Blaise wanted to write for the Daily Prophet, and Dean and Seamus wanted to play professional Quidditch. 

            Padma wanted to start her own business in perfumes and colognes for wizards and witches. Cho wanted to join the London's Witches and Wizards Orchestra. No one guessed that. 

            Draco wanted to be wherever Ginny was, and at that remark he was nearly murdered by the Weasley brothers. 

            Neville just wanted to teach at a wizardry school or teach science or biology to Muggles. 

            "Harry?" inquired Seamus. "How about you?"

            "I want to avenge my parents… Cedric… the teachers who died at Hogwarts, the students whose blood and bodies lay on the ground at Hogwarts…" his eyes went dark, his face shadowed and only lighted up by the flickering of the fire. "I will do anything and everything to murder Voldemort. And if that means dying along with him I will… after that…" He looked up at the group, smiling softly with tears in his eyes. "Who knows?"

            Hermione regarded him curiously, and Ron stared at his friend. _He's not telling us something._ Hermione pondered, but didn't dwell on the thought.

            "We have a long day tomorrow," said Dean. "We need to work on our HQ. Let's sleep."

            The group complied and soon the sizzling of the fire being put out was the only sound they heard, falling into a dreamless state.

**-**

            Albus Dumbledore looked around the overcrowded classroom he was teaching Defense Against the Good Arts to. He sighed when he thought of how the name had changed; he sighed deeper when he realized he was teaching promising good students to become evil.

            "Professor Dumbledore, sir, I don't understand this question," said a fifth year. She was bright, just as much as Hermione Granger herself had been all those years ago.

            _Are she and the others still alive? Or are their icy graves only showing what's left of them?_ He wondered, walking towards the girl.

            She was Amanda Andrews, a Ravenclaw whose parents had turned Dark and wanted her enrolled in Voldemort's dark plans. "Yes, Amanda? What is the question?"

            She nodded, and said, "it's number ten, sir. 'If a good wizard has cornered you and taken your only source of magic need, what shall you do? A, call for help, B, attack without magic, C, Disparate, or D, none of the above'?"

            Dumbledore thought about it, thinking if he had cornered a Dark Wizard, what would he do? "The answer would be C, you would disparate. Save yourself for another day."

            "Very good," hissed a voice from the doorway. Dumbledore turned to glare at the new Headmaster, Lord Voldemort.

            Instead of glaring at the tall man, he glared at the young adult beside him. He had messy black hair, was on the scrawny but muscular, and had unusual red eyes. 

            "Lord," replied Dumbledore, bowing as he was instructed to do. His eyes never left the boy. 

            "Rise Dumbledore," hissed the tall man. His gaze swept the room at the students still working, unaffected by their Headmaster's arrival in their classroom. "You teach them well. How do you do it?"

            Dumbledore answered coolly, "I only teach them what I know. And I know that if I had cornered a Dark Wizard, he would have saved his skin first before dying at the hands of the enemy. Rather die facing… Lord Voldemort I suppose."

            The Voldemort man snarled. "Crucio!"

            Dumbledore's face twisted as the pain rippled upon him. His bony hands gripped the edge of Amanda's desk. He stared into her shocked and scared eyes, wondering if he'd live.

            "I'll be fine," he mouthed to her. She said nothing, as she feared what would happen to her if she did. But Dumbledore say it – she wasn't evil. She was doing this because her parents wanted her to. It was to save her.

            The spell was taken off Dumbledore and he panted heavily, standing tall and straight in front of his class.

            "You shall not speak of your 'good' days, old man!" sneered the Voldemort. Dumbledore's gaze swept over the young adult. He stood, unaffected and calm throughout the whole scene. 

            _And the puppet performs the puppet master's plan,_ he thought.

            _Of course,_ replied the young adults voice. _Why should it be any other way? Isn't it a scream if Potter was ever released and he saw Lord Voldemort back to his younger self with all the powers of his 60 years?_

            _Not much of a scream except yours,_ snapped Dumbledore in his mind, before facing the fake Lord Voldemort.

            "I will," he said indifferently. "And I know that Harry Potter and the others will rise to defeat you… all of you," he said, his eyes sweeping over the room. "Good _always_ prevails!"

            Lord Voldemort's eyes narrowed, and with a quick glance and nod from Tom Riddle, his wand was pointed at Dumbledore. 

            "Avada Kedavra!"  
            Albus Dumbledore, true wizard to the end, died that chilly January night.

**-**

            Following the months after the release of their icy cages, the Renaissance had completed their castle, using Muggle architecture designs by Hermione, Lavender and Padma to create a roomy and spacious yet dangerous home. While Oliver, Harry, Ron, Draco, and Dean had done most of the labor, the others had set up wards around the castle, protecting it from unseeing eyes and seeing eyes. 

            The Renaissance's HQ was up and running a cold, winter night. March came in with a roar; a snowstorm outside had been going on for two days straight, and the snow began to pile up. 

            The group seated in what they called the King Arthur room: it had been designed as the fifth-teen's main discussion room. No one else could enter it, as Hermione had used a charm out of her Great-Grandmother's BOS to allow only those fifthteen to be emitted. 

            "What's our status?" asked Harry; looking around the round table they sat at. 

            "Nearly complete the Bingingham Castle," smiled Hermione proudly. She had decided the past month to stop wearing black, but ever since Oliver said it looked good on her, she decided to make it her permanent wardrobe.

            "What's left?" asked Draco.

            "The interior rooms on the top floors," answered Padma. She levitated a 3-D layout of the castle to the center of the table and rotated it. "You see, there was a problem with the roof above rooms 5A and B. We have to wait until spring to fix it, unfortunately, so those rooms are out of service."

            "And as for recruits?" asked Ron, leaning forward. Lavender looked at him funny. 

            "Are you crazy, Ron? We just finished building this place!" she looked around the room. "I suppose we can take on some witches and wizards – even Muggles – who haven't been stripped low of their powers… but mostly… should we allow families here?"

            "No," said Hermione, shaking her head. "Too… emotional attached, I think. Besides, the Weasleys, Patils, and Changs are the only wizardring families out there that are left that we can trust – we need their ties outside the HQ to find out information."

            "True," sighed Neville. "But… what about family _friends_, Hermione? Like Sirius Black and Remus Lupin? Arabella Figg? Bill and Charlie Weasley?"

            Hermione brightened up. "Brilliant, Neville – Brilliant!"  
            "Sorry, what's brilliant?" asked Ron, staring at crazily. 

            "It's perfect… Harry's parent's old crowd – they lived through the first Dark Wave and now the Second… if we can find them – and I know how – we can have an institute here!"

            "Meaning…?" Fred asked, waving her on.

            "Meaning we can have another Hogwarts _here_!" she said excitedly. "We'll find students and young wizards and Muggles alike who can help us. We teach them the magic, teach them our _mutated_ version of magic, and we'll have a force of our own!"

            Everyone at the table dropped their jaws. 

            "Are you crazy?"

            "What are you thinking?"

            "Hermione, what did you just say?"

            "That's suicide!"

            "We can't do that!" Sprang up around the table. Only Harry, Draco, Oliver and Hermione were silent.

            "Why not?" asked Harry, still standing. He was after all, unanimously the leader. Draco and Oliver were second in commands, forced to think of everything as a good something.

            The table turned to listen, still muttering.

            "Voldemort has a dark force, why shouldn't we have a good force? It makes sense, right?" he began, walking around the table. "Light and dark. One can't exist without the other. It makes sense… in so many ways… but Herm, you've been reading too many X-Men comics, haven't you?"

            She grinned sheepishly at him, confirming it. "It worked for them, didn't it? X-Men, X-Men: Evolution, X-Men: A New Generation, yada… yada… yada."

            He smiled back at her, and Oliver growled slightly under his breath. "It's a great idea, now that you think about it… Our own force! What do you say? We vote."

            Hermione, not allowed to vote, waited patiently the answer. Everyone – but Harry – pointed his or her wands upright, and the Renaissance raised a finger. 

            Five green blasts erupted, signaling 'yah'. From the Renaissance, there was a pause, but then another set of green blasts came from the fingers. 

            "It's settled." Harry said. "We take in students. We all become teachers here, at our post-Hogwarts." Harry turned to Hermione, "Now, Hermione. Where will we be able to find information out about Sirius and the others?"

            She grinned at him and threw an arm around Oliver's shoulders. "Leave that to us."

            "What?" Oliver squeaked. 

**-**

A/N: **Stoneheart**, I think you might be flying away on your Firebolt about now – this is my _only_ Oliver Wood/Hermione Granger. However, I **am** writing other H/Hr stories… so no fear! I happen to have a nice mystery/romance centered on Harry and Mione ready to pop out once _Come To Dust_ is near its end – so even if you don't like _Pandora's Box_, keep steady, there's more to come!

**G*Ness**, wow! You like my story! Wow!! Thanks – I love yours, though!! It's great!! How do I do it? Lol, I really don't know – plots just jump into my head… especially after watching Disney movies! O.o _right_…

**To everyone else:** thanks!! I love reading your reviews, so keep them coming!! ^_^


	5. Chapter Four: Pushing You Away

Pandora's Box

_Kneazle_

_DC: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot._

_AN: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, later on, the Renaissance become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: they fight and teach!  [Feb. 12, 02]_

**-**

**_Everything falls apart   
Even the people who never frown eventually break down   
The sacrifice of hiding in a lie   
Everything has to end   
You'll soon find we're out of time left to watch it all unwind   
The sacrifice is never knowing_** _– Linkin Park_

_ "Pushing You Away"_

**~**

Chapter Four

            Hermione opened the door to the Leaky Cauldron, Oliver walking in behind her. The wizardring crowd hung here now, dark and good alike. This was neutral territory; meaning one couldn't fight another wizard in here without being thrown out into the London streets.

            Oliver and Hermione, under old Latin appearance charms, sat down at the bar, side-by-side.

            The charm that hid their true forms wouldn't have really mattered, as both had changed a considerable amount during the past four and a half years, but nevertheless, Harry had insisted on it and Draco went along. 

            "What can I get ya?" asked the bartender, the old and toothy Tom. 

            "Uh, a bourbon and a scotch," said Hermione, ordering for herself and Oliver. He glanced at her surprised; how did she know his favourite drink?

            "You were mumbling under your breath back at… HQ that you needed a drink and said something about a scotch," laughed Hermione, reading his face clearly. 

            A few minutes later, Tom appeared with their drinks. He sloshed it down in front of them, saying, "Here you go."

            "Tom," said Hermione, gently yet firmly. Tom had turned away, ready to go to another customer or clean a glass, when the voice struck a cord in his heart. 

            He turned around to face the black-haired woman with warm blue eyes. He had never seen her before, but the way she held herself, her tone of voice, was something he remembered.

            "Ms. Granger?" he whispered, leaning close in to her.

            Hermione nodded, the simplest of a hair-flicking movement that Tom could hardly tell she nodded. She grinned, and then slipped him a piece of paper with a question written on it. 

            "Thank you for our drinks. Is it possible to have a room here tonight?" she asked, motioning him to not read the question aloud and continue talking to her.

            "For you and the gentleman? Perhaps. I'll have to check." Tom replied, slipping the note back to her. She unfolded it and read, _Tom, do the "old crowd" still have their powers?_ He had replied, _yes, they hide here in rooms 5, 7, and 9 under the polyjuice potion._

            Hermione nodded, and slipped the note back asked aloud, "can you check to make one available for us?"

            Oliver leaned forward, slipping Tom fifty galleons for his service when he passed the note back.

            "I'll check. Wait right her, dear," grinned Tom, his missing teeth showing. Oliver watched him go, making sure no one asked about them. He then read over Hermione's shoulder, _Are they there all day? Can we meet them?_ And the reply, _Yes, all day and night in hiding, as Muggles and not using any magic. They're scared, we all are. I think you can. Go up and force yourself in to talk to them. They will understand later if you save them. I believe in you and Mr. Wood._

            Oliver looked up at her shocked, "how did he know who I was?"

            Hermione shrugged. "No idea." She then pocketed the paper, shrinking it and inside her pocket, burning it with a lighter. She finished her drink, while watching the bar scene with wary eyes. As she and Oliver were in a corner that was fairly dark, she had a good view of the bar without anyone knowing she was watching them.

            "There's Lucius Malfoy," she whispered, using her bourbon glass to point him out. Oliver frowned. 

            "Lucky Malfoy looks nothing like him," he wrinkled his nose up in disgust. 

            Hermione laughed and they spotted a few more people they knew: Minerva McGonagall, Gabrielle Delacour, Fleur's sister, Severus Snape, Ludo Bagman, McNair and Avery, and even Colin and Dennis Creevey. 

            Slowly, the bar began to filter out, leaving Oliver and Hermione deep in discussion about Diagon Alley and what it must look like now and where they wanted to go to get supplies. 

            Tom passed them by, when there were only a bunch of drunken Death Eaters in a booth, and whispered, "go."

            They nodded and took the key he offered and started up the stairs. They were passing number seven by when Hermione looked both ways, using her supersensitive eyesight to see if anyone was watching. Cleared, she then knocked on the door. 

            Oliver stood off to the side, ready to fire a curse if he had to. The door opened and a bleary-eyed Remus Lupin stood in the way. 

            His blue eyes looked Hermione up and down and finally back at her determined face. "Who are you?" he croaked out, frightened. 

            "Let me and my… partner in and we'll explain it all to you then." She explained. "Please trust us."

            Remus sighed, nodded, and held the door for her and Oliver. Once it was closed, Hermione whipped out her wand, making Remus, Sirius Black and Arabella Figg all cower. She turned, placed a silencing charm on the room and put it down in front of them. 

            "Who are you?" asked Arabella, staring. 

            "Hermione Granger," Hermione introduced.

            "Oliver Wood."

            "My God…" Sirius and Remus trailed off before bounding over to Hermione and hugging her tightly. Sirius stroked her hair and planted a kiss on her forehead, not wanting to let her go. Remus also hugged her, his eyes brimming with tears. 

            "Whoa… _The_ Hermione Granger?" asked Arabella from her chair. Oliver nodded, smiling. 

            "Sirius, Remus," laughed Hermione, tearfully. "I'm so glad you're all well."

            "Where have you been all these years? Is Harry all right? Why are you here now? Is there—" Sirius' questions were stopped short when Hermione held a hand up to stop him.

            "All in good time," she replied. "Oliver?"

            Oliver stepped forward, cleared his throat and said, "Hermione and the Renaissance were locked away in… a frozen ice block for the past four years since Hogwarts had fallen. My group – consisting of Percy Weasley, myself, Fred and George Weasley, Roger Davis, Cho Chang, Fleur Delacour and Padma Patil – found the clues and followed them to the O'Sahar desert where we found the Renaissance. We unfroze them, and we created a Headquarters for the new good wizards. We've spent about three months on it, and we're now filling it up with wizards and witches we trust, and Muggles."

            "As for Harry, he's fine. We all are," sighed Hermione, "except Percy and Fleur… who were captured outside Malfoy Manor when they found Lucius' secret documents."

            "Is he dead?" whispered Remus.

            Oliver shook his head. "No. He had a memory charm on his head, so he remembers nothing of why he was at Malfoy Manor. As for Fleur, she doesn't remember leaving Paris."

            The silence around the room was thick. 

            "What did you come to us for?" asked finally Sirius. 

            Hermione and Oliver shared a look. Finally, Hermione said quietly, "Harry has requested that you all – the Old Crowd – come with us back to HQ… become teachers there. We're creating a new Hogwarts and are going to gather new students to teach out ways of teaching. We don't want them to become Dark Wizards. We trust you… all of you."

            Remus, Sirius and Arabella were up in a flash. "Can we do magic there?" Arabella asked excitedly. 

            Hermione grinned. "Of course!"  
            The three of them looked at each other and cheered. "Of course we're coming!"

**-**

            That night, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg and Mundungus Fletcher flew with Hermione and Oliver to Hermione's old house.

            She had set them up in the spare bedrooms and her parent's room. Apparently, on arrival, someone else had been in the house after Oliver's group had left. The meals were cleaned up and the bodies of Richard and Catherine Granger. 

            Hermione seemed to be in a daze, wandering the house and touching certain objects that were reminders of her past. Oliver followed her silently, watching. 

            Hermione stopped in the library, letting her fingers slide over the spines. She had stopped, finishing her first floor memory-lane. 

            "I used to come in here everyday," she murmured. Oliver started; she had never once looked back behind her and yet she knew he had been behind her the whole time.

            He moved up to stand beside her, looking down at the diary she held in her hands. On the front, written in silver ink against the black cover, was _Catherine Mary-Anna Wallace-Granger_. Oliver watched Hermione run her fingers over the cursive. When she stopped, her middle finger resting on the tip of the 'r', she placed the diary down and turned to Oliver.

            "I miss them so much," she whispered tearfully. Oliver felt his heart break for her. "They thought I was dead the whole time… and they died before I could say… goodbye."

            She broke down, closing her fists into Oliver's shirt. He held her close, wrapping his arms around her. He consoled her, rocking her slightly back and forth, murmuring into her hair. 

            Without knowing, Sirius, Remus and Arabella Figg saw the whole thing from the library doors.

            "Do you think they fancy each other?" asked Remus, whispering. He steered the other two away, walking back up the stairs to their rooms. 

            Sirius snorted. "Of course, Moony. It's evident; just look into their eyes. They just don't know it yet."

            Arabella sighed. "Young love…"

            "Impossible love," muttered Sirius. Arabella punched him playfully on the shoulder. 

            "Why do you say that? I think Hermione and Oliver make a great pair."

            Sirius sighed, and shook his head, his longish black hair swaying as he did so. "It's Hermione and Oliver, Arabella. Hermione is one of the Renaissances. She's likely to be killed in a war against Voldemort, and Oliver is only a sub to her group."

            "So?" Remus asked. 

            "They'll never be together. Oliver would give his life for that girl, and she his," sighed Sirius. "Just like James and Lily… only…"

            "Only?" prodded Arabella as she pushed open Remus' and Sirius' door. 

            "Only if one looses the other, they both die," sighed Sirius. "Night."

            Remus and Arabella were left standing in the hallway, staring at a closed door. They said nothing as they went to their rooms, awaiting a new life tomorrow.

**-**

            Hermione, Oliver, Sirius, Remus, Arabella and Mundungus arrived at Bingingham Castle before they were due, but nonetheless, they arrived safely and without any troubles.

            Hermione and Oliver guided the new four towards their landing strip in the courtyard. They flew through the mist first, the mist that surrounded Bingingham so that no one could find it. 

            "Ingenious," muttered Mundungus. Hermione grinned back at him and replied her thanks. Then, she pointed down. 

            "Welcome to Bingingham Castle, Institute of Magic," grinned Oliver, as they left the mist and clouds behind. The new group gasped; it was beautiful.

            A maze was off to one side, and a garden with beautiful flowers and trees loomed around the castle, ponds and waterfalls making the area magical on its own. The castle was rebuilt and refurnished, with a blue background and a picture of a dove flying high on top of the turrets. Stain-glass windows were on the East Wing, and large oak doors with handles of flowers welcomes the group.

            Hermione and Oliver parted the doors, and the group stepped in. Immediately, they were swamped. 

            A black-haired man, hugging him tightly, attacked Sirius. "Sirius! Snuffles!" he cried, hugging the man tighter. 

            "Harry!" cried hoarsely back Sirius. The godson and godfather embraced, seeing each other for the first time in four – nearly five – years. The sight brought tears to many people's eyes. 

            After introductions were made, they pledged the four in and allowed them in the magical enlarged round table. 

            "It's the Knights of the Round Table!" exclaimed Arabella. 

            Padma laughed and corrected her. "No, it's just our conference room. Here is where we meet to come up with ideas to plot Voldemort's downfall. You can sit there, Ms. Figg."

            "Arabella," she said absently, and ran her hand over the smooth wood. "Wow."

            Remus and Sirius were in awe, but Mundungus fit right in, happily seating himself next to Dean's seat. "Well, what are we waiting for? You had somethin' to explain to us all?"

            Harry cleared his throat. "Seats please?"

            The group complied, and once seated he said, "Yes, Mundungus, we brought you, Sirius, Remus and Arabella here to help us. The Renaissance – as what us ten who were frozen call we – are in dire need of your help. Hermione had proposed the idea of making this castle into a second Hogwarts. We cannot fit all the students that Hogwarts had, but enough to teach classes and have a dormitory. However, we cannot all teach while fighting Voldemort. Therefore, we would be quite happy if you all agree to be IoM teachers."

            There were tears in Remus' eyes as Harry finished. He stood up as soon as he had finished and shook hands with Harry. "I'd love to." He whispered joyously. "I can start over."

            "Draco is excellent in potions – almost as good as Snape was," informed Hermione. "He can make you the wolfsbane potion whenever you need it. Right, Draco?"

            "Of course!" eagerly answered Draco Malfoy. Remus was shocked but shook Draco's hand too. 

            Sirius, Arabella and Mundungus also agreed, saying that this was going to be great and be like old times. 

            Harry smiled at Hermione; "Great idea, Herm."

            Hermione smiled back, and blushed, lowering her head. Oliver noticed this and waited until Harry had dismissed everyone. Padma, Cho, Lavender and Hermione were happy to have another female with them, they decided to show her around Bingingham personally, while Dean and Seamus went off to the kitchen to cook, Draco and Blaise went to retire for the evening and Ron and Ginny went to their adjoining room to discuss more ways to attack Death Eaters. 

            Sirius, Remus and Mundungus stayed behind a bit to talk to Harry, but then left when they saw Oliver wanted to speak with him.

            "Harry." Oliver said. Harry looked up and nodded. 

            "Yes, Oliver?"

            "I… I don't mean to intrude into your personal life, but… do you fancy Hermione?" he asked, stuttering slightly. 

            Harry paused for a second before bursting out laughing. "Oliver… you actually think that I wound fancy my best friend? No, of course I don't! I think of Hermi as a _sister_, and Ron my brother. Even Ginny is that close to me! But, no, I don't think of Hermione that way. Why?"

            Oliver blushed and muttered, "no reason."

            Harry walked over, nudged him in the ribs and wiggled his eyebrows. "You… ah, like her, don't you?"

            Oliver blushed scarlet. 

            "Well, in that case, go for it," laughed Harry. "I think… Hermi has some feelings for you too."

            "What!"  
            "Yeah," nodded Harry. "Anyway, I've got to go meet with her later to discuss some ideas on sending letters to the eleven year olds… and get some magical creatures. Wood, is it possible for you to teach flying lessons?"   

            "You mean… Quidditch?? I can play it again??" Oliver was astounded. 

            Harry laughed. "Of course. I probably won't allow houses in the Institute, but the teachers playing would be a sight to see, huh?"

            Oliver grinned and clapped him on the back. "You're a good man, Potter. A good man." Oliver then, however sobered up. "Harry?"

            Harry turned from leaving the room. "Hmm?"

            "You know we're in this fight together, right?"

            Harry smiled gently at his older friend. "I know, Oliver. I know."

**-**

_April 3_

_Dear Diary,_

_Guess what! I just received an **owl**, but it's not from Hogwarts, like Mommy and Daddy were expecting. Actually, even Robert, my annoying older brother, got one too! In it, it explained that Voldemort – this really evil wizard that Mommy and Daddy hate – has taken over Hogwarts, and the only magic they teach there is dark arts. Mommy and Daddy didn't want me going there this year, so they declined. They had also pulled Robert out so he could learn "real magic" as Daddy called it._

_            Well, what was cool in the letter was that it was sent by… guess… THE HARRY POTTER!! Apparently, he and the Renaissance (Mommy helped me spell that), had found a way to come out of their banishment. Robert was so surprised!_

_            But what surprised Mommy and Daddy even more was that Mr. Potter was the **Headmaster of the Institute of Magic**! There's a magical school that teaches good arts! Mommy and Daddy were so happy, they were crying! They replied as soon as they got the letter (after asking me and Rob of course) if we wanted to go. We both said yes, so we start out term ASAP. _

_            We will get there – listen to this – by brooms! Professor Granger (Hermione Granger, my idol!) will be escorting us with Professor Wood and Professor Weasley. Robert was so excited, and we leave tomorrow. _

_            Mommy and Daddy just said that the world is looking a little brighter today, and I agree with them! Voldemort's evil days of ruling us in fear are coming to an end!_

-- From the pages of Lindsay O'Connell, age 11, Manchester, England

            Hermione, Oliver, and Ron arrived at the O'Connell's house promptly at nine in the morning, ready to take Robert and his little sister Lindsay to the Institute. 

            "I can hardly believe it!" gushed Mrs. O'Connell, "I can hardly believe that you escaped You-Know-Who's clutches and lived to tell about it… and start a magical school!"

            "Please don't tell anyone about the school," whispered Hermione. "We can't have Voldemort finding out about it. But I can assure you that there are numerous strong and brilliant teachers at Bingingham. Actually, Robert and Lindsay will be out first students. Others are flying around, getting the others."

            "And how will they arrive safely back?" asked Mr. O'Connell.

            Oliver stepped up, "Hopefully, but the end of term (September, at the moment), Voldemort will have been defeated by the Renaissance and there will be no worries. The only thing we have to worry about now, is the magical links and… unfortunately, we can't let you two see where we're going."

            Robert and Lindsay didn't seem to mind as they climbed on the back of Hermione and Oliver's brooms, with Ron's carrying their trunks. 

            "Take care," said Mrs. O'Connell, kissing each of them once. 

            "Bye!" they shouted, as they rose in the air. Under invisibility cloaks, they blindfolded the two and lead them to their education.

            After an hour in the air, Hermione leaned her broomstick forward for a descent, flying through the clouds. The blindfold was magically taken off, and Lindsay and Robert got their first taste of their new home for six months. The group circled once before landing in the courtyard again, where Sirius and Arabella were waiting. 

            Hermione landed, watching as Sirius and Arabella led the new students into the school. They got a personal tour, oohing and ahhing in all the right places. 

            "This is going to be weird," muttered Ron, as the two left. 

            Hermione turned to face him and Oliver. "What do you mean, 'weird'? Is it because we're teachers but we never finished our last year?"

            Ron nodded. "Yeah. I mean, Wood's the flying instructor, you're the transfiguration (or you could be anything else), and I'm what? Charms!! Do you remember our first year in charms when we learnt 'wingardium leviosa'?"

            Hermione burst out laughing, just as she spotted three more specks in the sky. "Oh, I remember! You couldn't do it and I did, showing off. And Seamus blew his and Harry's up! What a sight!"

            Oliver grinned. "Remember that spell he made up, trying to change his pumpkin juice in rum?"

            Now the three were laughing, remembering their times at Hogwarts. They calmed down as the broomsticks neared. 

            "Those were the days," mused aloud Hermione softly. The other two agreed, turning to face Fred, Dean, and Padma. 

            They arrived with a bunch of students, all young and able to fit three on a broom with an adult. 

            Fred and Padma led the groups inside, while Dean stayed outside to watch with them. "This is weird," he said.

            The three laughed at him. Dean, not understanding what was so funny, huffed and left the three. They watched him retreat back to the castle, and their amusement began to fade. 

            Ron excused himself and walked back to his room, leaving Hermione and Oliver alone. They began to walk around the grounds, finally settling down on one of the stone benches in the garden. They watched the sun fade, a brilliant shade of red with purple clouds. 

            "Nice, isn't it?" stated Oliver. Hermione nodded her agreement, sighing. "Worried about teaching?"

            "A bit. How many students will be here in total by next week, when we start?"

            "Fifty-seven. Ten in their first year, fourteen in their second, five in their third, eight in their fourth, ten in their fifth, three in their sixth and seven in their final year," recited Oliver. 

            Hermione winched. "This will be crazy. I wonder how McGonagall and the others did it with a thousand students back at Hogwarts."

            "Who knows," Oliver shrugged, and they lapsed into silence again. They felt at ease next to each other, basking in the spring weather. It had rained the night before, and the smell of rain was still in the air. 

            "Hermione…" Oliver started. 

            "Yes?" Hermione asked, turning to face him. 

            Oliver licked his lips and said, "I think you're great and I fancy you."

            Hermione stared, blinked once, twice, before saying softly, "do you really?"

            Oliver nodded, tense, and awaited her reply. He took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. "Please say that you do too."

            Hermione was speechless, until she said confidently, "I… I fancy you too, Oliver."

            Oliver let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and brought Hermione close to him, there, in the garden. He brushed some pieces of hair from her eyes and hugged her tightly to him. 

            She sighed in content, inhaling Oliver's distinct scent; it was one of peppermint and something that smelled like rain… she wasn't sure what it was, but it smelled nice and fresh, and she buried her face in his chest. 

            Against her ear, she felt a little movement. With her ears, she heard the _thump-thump_ of his heart. Smiling, she raised her head to look at Oliver.

            His eyes were closed, and the look on his face was one of a man in complete bliss, totally happy in his life. He felt her eyes on him and looked at her, grinning. 

            "You've made me the luckiest man in the world," he said softly, his nose touching hers. She giggled and smiled flirtatiously. 

            "Really?"

            "Really," he confirmed, before lowered his head to hers, his lips just brushing with hers. Hermione felt a tingle run up and down her spine, and the feel of his hot but sweet breath of her cheek. 

            Suddenly, his lips were locked on hers, and he had wrapped her tightly to himself. Hermione had no objections, tilting her own head to allow Oliver more space. He took that as an invitation and ran his tongue lightly along her bottom lip. Hermione nearly sighed contently, as she had forgotten what it had been like to be kissed like that. 

            They didn't return until late that night.

**-**

            The rest of the week went by quickly; the Renaissance, the Old Crowd and Oliver's group which had been affectionately nicknamed the Salvation, all were seated around the Round Table just before breakfast. 

            "So we all know who is doing what art?" finally asked Harry, looking around the table. He noted with his sharp eyesight, that Oliver and Hermione were nearly inseparable nowadays and saw how close they sat at the table.

            "Yes," they chorused. 

            "Confirmation please when I call your name?" Harry asked, picking up a clipboard. The group had had lots of fun earlier in the year when they had transfigured rocks and twigs into useful items. "Black?"

            "Combat."

            "Brown?"

            "Divination," came Lavender's reply.

            "Chang?"

            "Astronomy."

            "Figg? Finnigan?"

            "Muggle Studies."

            "History of Magic."

            "Fletcher, Granger, Longbottom?"

            "Advanced DADA."

            "Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures."

            "Herbology."

            "Lupin, Malfoy, Patil?"

            "DADA."

            "Potions."

            "Modern History of Magic."

            "Thomas, Weasley Fred, Weasley George, Weasley Ginny?"

            "Art in Magic."

            "Advanced transfiguration."

            "Advanced transfiguration."

            "Arithmacy."

            "Ron Weasley? Wood, Zabini?"

            "Charms."

            "Flying."

            "Advanced potions."

            "And I teach actual defense, hand to hand combat with Sirius," finished Harry. He looked around, made sure every had their timetables and said, "dismissed."

            They all then got up, left the table and proceeded throughout the halls. The students were allowed everywhere and anywhere they could get in (not any of the teacher's quarters, of course or their rooms) and took the past week to walk around and learn the castle's floors.

            Once everyone arrived at dinner – all fifty-seven plus nineteen teachers – Harry stood and welcomes the students. 

            "Welcome," he began, and Ron snickered, commenting to Draco that he sounded like Dumbledore. "Welcome to the first year of Bingingham Castle, which is also the Institute of Magic.

            "I, your Headmaster Harry Potter, welcome you here and hope that you will enjoy your studies and pay attention in them"—

            He was cut off when Ginny snapped, "Like you ever did."

            The whole room laughed, and Harry's face burned with embarrassment. "And I suppose you did better, Ms. Weasley?"

            Ginny laughed and winked, "of course!"

            Harry then continued, "Well. To make a long intro short"—_"Too late!"_ – "Welcome and please, if there are any problems, come and speak to me or any of our teachers here. We wish to help."

            There was applause and Hermione said to Harry, who she was seated next to, "wonderful speech. Horribly short, though. Maybe you should work on them, hmm?"

            Harry gave her a grin and went to eat – somehow, he had managed to find Dobby and Winky (completely unharmed) who had spread the word through trustworthy magical creatures that a new Hogwarts had opened. 

            Now, there were at least a hundred house elves in the kitchens (with their own rooms, Hermione made sure of that) working for them.

            The meal was delicious and appetizing. The teachers, seated in a 'c' shaped table were able to interact and talk to their small group of students and learn much about them. 

            That night was the first of many that the group laughed and joked around like they had back at Hogwarts.

            _Even_, Hermione thought later while snuggling down in her bed (which Oliver had crept into the past few days), _enough to make me forget everything that has happened._

            That night, there were only pleasant dreams.

**-**

            Oliver could tell right away that Hermione was nervous. Lunch was just finishing up, and before she just had her first years. Now, she would move on to her fifth years, which were also the largest group she taught. 

            "You okay?" he asked, leaning in to speak to her privately. Hermione smiled gratefully up at him, her hands a little shaky, but nodded. 

            "I think I'll be fine. It's just first-day jitters," she replied. Oliver smiled. 

            "Think about the students, how they feel. Not been in school for years? Learning new magic already? And _wandless_ magic to be exact? They are nervous, Mione," Oliver whispered. Lunch was over; Oliver and Hermione stood along with the other teachers who had not skipped it and proceeded to walk down the hall to where her transfiguration class would be. 

            A group of fourth and fifth year girls passed them by, giggling as they glanced up at the two. Whispers were heard even after they passed.

            _"Are Professor Wood and Professor Granger dating?"_

_            "Do they fancy each other?"_

They giggled some more and Hermione couldn't help but smile. Once reaching her door, which was open, she kissed him on the cheek and said, "thank you Oliver. I'll speak with you later. Good luck with flying lessons."

            She then briskly walked into the class, to the front where a whiteboard was and her desk. 

            The ten students, seven that were boys and three girls, smiled pleasantly at her. Hermione felt herself loosen up. She placed her textbook down and looked around the class. She did the roll call and smiled when she read one of the names. 

            "Andrew Creevey?" she asked, and a boy that looked similar to both Colin and Dennis lifted his hand. 

            "Let me guess, Dennis and Colin are your older brothers?" she grinned. Andrew laughed and nodded. 

            "Off fighting Voldemort, Professor," he informed her, "They work for an underground resistance in London as Aurors."

            "Really," she noted, saving this information to relay later that night. She then continued on, and finally finished. When she had, she handed out textbooks – but surprised everyone by doing it without magic. 

            They watched in awe as their textbooks floated from her desk one by one quickly to their new owners. 

            "I see that you are all… speechless… to my new talent," she laughed, leaning against her desk slightly. They looked up at her, weak smiles on their faces. "I know what you're thinking… I'm another McGonagall, right? Wrong, folks. I'll go tons easier on you – don't forget who _my_ best friends are, now – and not only what is being taught in those…"

            She trailed off, pointing at the textbooks. "I'll be teaching you some useful tricks for the world. I know this may seem hard, if not impossible… but as the Muggle commercial once said for Gatorade, _anything you can do I can do better_. You're all going to learn how to perform wandless magic."

            There were gasps, but many students looked excited. 

            "Shocking, isn't it?" Hermione grinned at them, rubbing her hands together. "Well, let's start with review, shall we? See what you all know."

            Hermione handed out a work sheet, and watched the students try to perform numerous transfigurations on the sheet; marking which ones they could or couldn't do. 

            _This is much more fun than I thought,_ she grinned, sitting down in her seat. _Too much fun!_

**-**

            Halfway through her seventh-year lesson of Care of Magical Creatures in the stables, Harry appeared and motioned to speak with Hermione alone.

            "Yes?" she asked, letting her students take notes on the nifflers she asked them to study.

            "Ron just came to inform me there's at least _forty_ new students arriving," he said.

            "How?" she replied shocked. 

            "I don't know," said Harry. "I suppose news spread quickly and now they've been sending letters to wonder where we are. Our school is growing."

            "But with Voldemort," Hermione began, "we can't have them safely on a train or… bus or boat to get here, Harry. Maybe, if we had a transportation piece that appeared and disappeared instantaneously without leaving magical residue behind, it could be done…"

            She trailed off, musing. 

            Harry nodded and swallowed. "Hermi, can you drop your theories of magical channeling and mutations to work on this foremost? Safety is a key here."

            "I know," she murmured. "Harry?"

            "Yeah?" he asked, starting to walk away.

            Hermione stopped, and called out, aware that her students could hear, "find out about Hogwarts, will you? Who's still there and… and if anyone we know… is still alive. We could use some of them, you know."

            Harry nodded, noticing Hermione's pain. She had been fond and close to many of the teachers there, and them likewise on her. She missed them and their ways. 

            "I will," he smiled before walking away and across the grounds. 

            As it was the last class, Hermione spun on her heel and said happily, "class dismissed early. Homework: make those notes neat because you'll be writing an essay soon on nifflers."

            The students cheered and left, gathering their bags. Soon, Hermione was left alone in the stables. 

            She wandered from stall to stall, looking at hurt nifflers they had rescued, unicorns, regular horses, winged horses, griffins, hippogriffs, they even had a small newly-hatched Common Welsh Green.

            Finally stopping before one of the stalls, which held a beautiful black stallion. Hermione personally had two horses at IoM stables, using the Dale for classes and Philippe, her Clydesdale, for everyday riding throughout the large hundred acre grounds. 

            At the moment, Hermione needed to get away, and decided to quickly saddle Philippe up. She swung her legs over stallion and petted him. His ebony mane hid his long neck, but Hermione patted him all the while, leaning forward to feed him a carrot. 

            "Are you ready for a run, Philippe?" she asked her horse. A neigh was her response, so she urged her forward. His hoofs clunked down on the wooded stable floor, and just as Hermione left the building did Oliver zoom over with his broom. 

            Philippe regarded the broom with disgust – he bit and shook his head, turning it away from the magical item. He preferred humans _riding him_ and not brooms. After all, Hermione was kind to him and always had a carrot or sugar cube ready for him. 

            "Oliver," she said surprised. "What brings you out here?"

            "I wanted to talk to you," he said. Looking at Philippe, he asked, "Is there another horse"—Philippe snorted again—"that I can ride myself?"

            "Of course. Saddle one of the school's up."

            "You mean this one is yours?" Oliver was flabbergasted. "I didn't know you could ride that well!"

            Hermione laughed and Philippe began to relax, understanding that Hermione cared about this man and he cared for her. "Philippe is my stallion. I had him… magically transported here after my parents death."

            "Philippe? How'd you come up with that name?" Oliver asked, while Hermione followed him back inside the stable. She was still on Philippe.

            "Philippe is the name of the horse Belle has in _Beauty and the Beast_," she gushed, her cheeks red. "I loved that movie."

            Oliver smiled up at her, and finished getting one of the school's mares ready. He swung his long legs over and sat straight and professionally on her. 

            "Ready?" asked Hermione, as Oliver grinned. Hermione narrowed her eyes. "You've ridden professionally, haven't you? I can just see you playing polo…"

            Oliver laughed and they started out. Harry had been overly keen about having the whole school surrounded by a magical wall that blocked out the rest of the world. The Institute was well hidden in the mist and fog, and only in its center was it clear. Harry made sure that if there were an attack, it would not come from inside the school, as he had also made it into a sphere, not allowing anyone to apparate or disapparate in the school.

            They rode their horses at a leisurely pace, before turning back around and heading to the school.

            "Have you done anything more on the theories?" asked Oliver. Hermione shook her head. 

            "Harry came to see me today and he asked me to drop that for a transportation method instead," she said, "He was saying something about forty plus students wanting to arrive but he was unsure as of how."

            Oliver nodded, and they rode the rest of the way in silence. Finally, he asked, "Well, do you have any theories?"

            "Of course," she said. Turning, Hermione ran a hand through her wavy brown hair. "But… I really don't want to go through any of them at the moment. Teaching wandless magic will be hard enough, you know."

            "Yeah," laughed Oliver. "You should have seen Ron. I dropped by in his charms class and you know what his opening line was?"

            "No, what?"

            Oliver tried to impersonate Ron, and said in his best Ron voice, " 'Okay. I'm Ron Weasley, my best friends are Hermione Granger and Harry Potter and I hate charms. I'm not good in it and I really don't care if you are too. I suck. But I'm better than Seamus Finnigan 'cause in our first year, he blew up his feather on the first day of classes. I hope none of you do, because if you do, I'm going to fail you right now'."

            Hermione gapped. "Ron actually said that?!"

            Oliver nodded and laughed. "But then he changed moods drastically and everyone was able to perform 'wingardium leviosa' with no problems."

            "Good," sighed Hermione, letting out the air she was holding. "If Ron had truly said that and not done anything afterwards correctly I'd chew him out myself personally."

            Oliver then slid off his horse, placed her back in her stall and went to help Hermione. He grasped her tightly by the waist and helped her down, her hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. 

            "Thanks," she whispered, clinging tightly to him. Oliver smiled softly at her, and kissed her on her nose. 

            "No problem," he said. He then took Philippe into his stall, groomed him down while Hermione watched, her eyes twinkling in the dusk. 

            Once he finished, they walked back to the school, hand in hand, smiling secret smiles at each other. 

            From above, Harry and Ron stood watching them from the Arthur room window. 

            "They make a nice couple, don't you agree?" asked Harry, grinning. Ron nodded, his own freckled face split into a grin. 

            "Very cute," he commented. 

            "What are you two staring at?" came Ginny's voice. The two jumped, startled and tried to block her view of the large window.

            "Nothing, Gin, nothing"—

            "We weren't looking at anything, just talking"—

            Ginny grinned and looked at the two before pushing them out of the way. She looked around the grounds, spotting Hermione and Oliver walking up the steps.

            "Aw, isn't that cute?" she cooed. "Did you two know about this?"

            Harry moved away, cleared his throat and asked, "Have the papers on the first set of Death Eaters ready, Ginny?"

            Ginny grinned, rolled her eyes and muttered, "The old 'change the topic' clue. And yes, Potter, they're ready."

**-**

            Hermione was in her classroom, grading papers when there was a knock on her door. Looking up, she said, "enter."

            The door opened and the little girl, Lindsay O'Connell, walked in. "Professor Granger?"

            Hermione looked up again, and smiled. "Lindsay, come on in. Is there something wrong? Is everything okay?"

            Lindsay smiled shyly and walked up to Hermione's desk. "Professor… uh… I was having some trouble with my transfiguration homework."

            "With the changing a pin into a leaf?" Hermione looked shocked. "You were doing fine in class."

            Lindsay turned red. 

            "That's not what you wanted to ask, is it?" Hermione smiled at the girl. "Go on, ask."

            "Are you and Professor Wood dating?" she blurted, her eyes wide. Hermione chuckled softly and left her desk. She sat in one of the student's desk and motioned Lindsay to also sit.

            She sat and Hermione began, "I suppose so. It's not like we could really do anything, though. We're confined to the grounds as you are unless we go on missions outside… for classified reasons. But if you also want to ask if I fancy Oliver, I do."

            "Are you two going to get married?" she asked, her youthful curiosity getting the best of her. 

            Hermione outright laughed. "Oh, Lindsay, I don't know! We just started really expressing our feelings this past week… we're not ready to get married."

            "Oh," her face fell and she stood. "Well, thank you for your time, Professor Granger." She paused at the door, and then squeaked, "I do hope that you and Professor Wood get married! You're a very nice couple!" and was gone in a flash, leaving her speechless.

            Hermione grinned at the spot Lindsay stood and shook her head. Gathering her papers, she walked down the hall to her chambers, opening her door with her password. 

            Inside, Hermione dumped everything on her coffee table and proceeded to go into the bathroom. However, Oliver wrapping his arms around her waist as she undid her tight bun detained her. Ringlets fell down, framing her face. 

            "Oliver," said Hermione, surprised. "I didn't know you were here."

            He chuckled, spinning her. "I know. I sorry. Do you want me to go?"

            "No, no, it's all right. I want to tell you what just happened."

            "Oh?"

            "Yes, it's quite funny – well, cute, actually – so please listen." Hermione smiled at him and sat on one of her suite couches. "You know that Lindsay O'Connell girl? She just came into my classroom and asked me if we were dating, and then asked if we were going to get married."

            He laughed and hugged Hermione. Letting her go, he started towards her door, but stopped after he opened it. "Honestly, Mione, I would like to marry you… but I'd ask when you're ready. I'd wait forever for you."

            He shut the door before Hermione could reply. 

            That was twice in less than an hour that Hermione was left speechless.

**-**

            "Hermione? Do you have any ideas as to how we're going to get the new students here?" asked Draco, from his spot across from her at the table. Hermione looked up from taping her quill against the table softly, before sighed and standing up. She brushed some of her brown glossy hair behind her ear, glanced over at Oliver once, and cleared her throat.

            "Well, I've got an idea, but… I'm not sure it will work," she said softly. "Actually, without a really strong, ancient spell, I doubt that we'll be able to perform the transportation one-hundred percent accurately."

            "Meaning?" asked Arabella, her fingers laced eloquently underneath her chin. 

            Hermione looked at her, and slipped some reading glasses on the end of her nose. She found that her prescription hadn't changed after all those years, and the plastic had been safe in her pocket when frozen. "Well, meaning that unless we find a really powerful, really old (preferably Celtic or Norwegian origin), we won't be able to safely get the students here, being that large a number."

            There were groans around the room. 

            "Any idea where to get a spell book to find those spells?" asked Seamus, twiddling his pen. Ginny coughed and shifted. 

            Again, Hermione sighed. "No. Hogwarts was the only place I could think of…" she trailed off. 

            Something tickled Oliver at the corner of his mind. He frowned, trying to think about it, only to have it disappear. He concentrated on Hermione's voice.

            "So we're screwed," moaned Dean, his head resting on the table now.

            "No, not really. All it will take is some time to locate…" Hermione's voice trailed off and Oliver found himself stuck in a memory.

_"Latin?" Catherine's interest perked. "I have an old Latin spell book – or so my mother said," she laughed._

_            Oliver stopped smiling. "Catherine? You do?"_

_            "Yes… would it be helpful?" she asked._

_            "I think it might save their lives." Oliver replied, evenly…_

_            Someone was dead, and it wasn't too hard to guess whom. Oliver let his head roll onto his chest. _

_            He opened his fist and read in what little light they had, Book of Shadows, my Grandmother's spell book. Under the alphabetical letter 'W', look for Wallace…_

            Oliver's eyes flew open and he said before he realized, "Catherine Granger's BOS!"  
            Hermione stopped talking and turned towards him, her mouth open. "My great-grandmother's Book of Shadows?" she asked slowly, thinking it over. 

            Everyone turned and looked at her. Cho perked up, nodding. 

            "That's right! That's where we found the counter-curse for the Glacialis curse!" she chirped. "Perhaps it will have something for instant transportation stronger than apparation!"

            "But… it will take very strong wizards, in general, to perform it, if that's true," Hermione said slowly, thinking it over as quickly as she could in her mind. "But if it works… we've got a weapon against Voldemort."

            "Well, what are you waiting for, girl? Go get it!" Ron's grin was as wide as his face as Hermione nodded and walked briskly towards the door. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she hardly realized that she walked _through_ the door and had never touched the handle.

            All eighteen members in the King Arthur Conference Room jaws dropped. Neville stuttered, "Did any of you manipulate your mutations to get them to work for your advantage yet?"

            No one nodded their head, only kept their eyes riveted where Hermione had disappeared. The door handle twisted, turned, and Hermione stepped through, it closing softly behind her. 

            "Well, I was checking on the way until I got here," she replied, unaware of everyone's eye. She looked up when no one replied. "What? Is something wrong?"

            Harry caught his voice first, "Hermione."

            "Yes?"

            "Did you know that you already mastered your mutation?" he asked evenly and straightforward. 

            Hermione's own jaw dropped now. "What?? I need? What did I do?"

            "While we Renaissance can all move items with our minds, you…" Draco trailed off, moving his hands about, trying to grasp the correct words. "You… are able to travel through solid objects."

            Hermione's reaction was instantaneous. "What! No way!" She turned to Oliver for confirmation, knowing he wouldn't lie to her. "Did I?" she whispered. 

            Oliver nodded, his eyes wide. Hermione inwardly groaned and fell into her chair. _Great, now Oliver will hate me and think I'm a freak and our relationship will turn to shit._

            Ginny's voice consoled her. "Don't worry Herm, everything will work out. Oliver should understand your new powers."

            "Thanks Gin, I appreciate—" Hermione's voice stopped short. Her eyes sought Ginny out, which looked confused. 

            "What?" she asked.

            "How did you know what I was thinking?" Hermione asked softly. Now it was everyone's turn to face Ginny. 

            "B-But didn't you just say that out loud?" she mumbled, her eyes darting around. Hermione shook her head slightly. 

            _No, I thought it._ She thought, throwing her thought to Ginny. She caught it, Hermione felt, and her eyes widened. 

            "I can read minds," she whispered. Lavender sulked. 

            "And I always thought _I_ was the good one in divination," she muttered, slouching in her seat good-naturally. 

            The group sighed and Harry stood. "I officially call this meeting off. We'll resume in three days, Friday. There, Hermione, you will present to use whether or not we can use a strong instant transportation spell, and work further on your theories. I think that they will be more use to us now than ever."

            The meeting was adjourned and the witches and wizards wearily made their way out of the room and back to their chambers. Harry left, leaving Hermione and Ginny alone. 

            "I didn't know your mutation was mind-reading," whispered Hermione. Ginny looked as frightened as she did. 

            "I know," she said back, her voice just as small as Hermione's. "And you – dematerialization! Wow!"

            Hermione looked down glumly. _I don't think Oliver will think that._

            "Sure he will," assured Ginny, before clamping a hand over her mouth. Hermione grinned up at her. 

            "Don't worry. I purposely sent that to you. I can guard my thoughts, but we'll need to teach you to use those mutations!"

            Ginny grinned, glancing at the door. "Shall we go outside and see who's waiting for you?"

            "You mean scare him."

            "Well, can you use your power with me attached to you?"

            Hermione considered this. "Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

            She then took Ginny's arm in hers, and walked confidently through the wall. She could feel the atoms rearranging themselves to allow her through, but felt the slight struggle Ginny had when pulling through. However, they came out perfectly fine as if there was no wall. 

            Oliver jumped but said nothing. 

            _He wants to talk to you,_ Ginny's voice whispered across Hermione's mind. Hermione, in turn, glared at her.

            _Keep your mind to yourself. Don't look into my boyfriends! _She scolded, and smiled sweetly at Oliver. "Do you want to go somewhere to talk?"

            He nodded, glanced oddly at Ginny, who giggled, before taking Hermione's hand. "Yeah… yeah… let's go."

            They disappeared down the corridor; leaving Ginny pondering over Hermione's last thought, _don't let anything go wrong._

**-**

**_A/N:_** Is it just I, or have the chapters become longer?? ((**Looks confused**)) Anyway! 

**Smile7499:** It's really hard to say _how_ their powers mutated because a lot of that will come out in Hermione's theories throughout the story… but I **_can_** say that over the time they were frozen, the powers (think of a hole, like how Hermione explained earlier) grew. Since they weren't aware of this, the magic in them became untamed, wild. Therefore, their strength increased and now they have talents and magic they've never thought they had, but were dormant in them the whole time. Does that help?

**ChocolateFrog17: **LOL! Just keep writing, playing around with ideas. Usually the craziest end up being the most fun to write, and the ones that others will love to read! ^_^

**Nentikobe:** references to real-life!! There is?!? **Goes crazy and rereads the story so far** I never noticed! Iie! Lol, yeah, there are references to Wicca in the story. So sometimes, depending on what the magic is, it may be spelt _magic_ or _magick_. I, personally, am not a Wiccan, but I have read up on it for the story ^_^ (*coughs* _The Complete Idiots Guide to Wicca _*coughs*) and I **_love_** Cate Tiernan's _Sweep_. If you want to read bout it fictionally, check that book series out. It's worth the time to read, and that's where I'll be getting a lot of my sources (or at least, Wiccan ones). And no, my name is not Katie. It's… Tracey ^_^

**Anna:** Sure will – Sirius and Remus play a large role in this fic too – all mentioned characters do – but try not to get too attached to some… it may turn out… **evil music** disastrous! MWAHAHAH!!

**-**


	6. Chapter Five: Never Again

Pandora's Box

_Kneazle_

**_DC_**_: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot._

**_AN_**_: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, later on, the Renaissance become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: they fight and teach!_

**_PS_**_: many qualities that the Renaissance has is what the X-Men have too (ex, Hermione = Kitty Pryde)  [Feb. 18, 02]_

**-**

**_Been there before, but not like this_****_   
_****_Seen it before, but not like this_****_   
_****_Never before have I ever_****_   
_****_Seen it this bad_**

_ – Nickelback, "Never Again"___

**~**

Chapter Five

            Hermione walked slowly with Oliver, unsure of what he was thinking. She had wished a few seconds ago that she had Ginny's mind-reading powers, but then she realized that she'd probably abuse them, and didn't want that. She wanted people to trust her. 

            "What are you thinking?" Oliver asked. Hermione let out a tiny laugh.

            "To know what you're thinking," she replied, grinning at him. Then, she let the smile slip off her face. "Are you… are you upset or scared because of what I am?"

            Oliver was quiet for a bit before he answered. They had walked through the gardens and to where he had told her that he fancied her. "Hermione, I love you. I do, really… and I would never think badly of you in anyway. I love who you are, what you stand for and everything like that. I could care less if you were blue, green or purple."

            Hermione's eyes burned with tears, and she hugged him tightly. "Thank you. I was so worried that you wouldn't understand… understand my new mutated powers."

            Oliver grinned cheekily at her. "I think they're great, actually. Nice to sneak up on people, especially if they're sleeping."

            Hermione grinned back at him, and they continued walking, closer together than before. As they walked back into the school, they realized dinner had started already. Oliver walked slightly ahead, as Hermione had to put the book back in her room. 

            Oliver sat in his seat, which was next to Hermione's. He watched as the food magically appeared on his plate. 

            "Where's Herm?" asked Harry, leaning towards him slightly. Oliver looked up, and was about to reply when she appeared through the wall behind them. She jumped up on the slight platform, and sat down in her seat, knowing but not showing that everyone's eyes were on her. 

            "And you came from?" asked Draco wryly. 

            "Behind," replied Hermione easily, grinning. The students quickly whispered amongst themselves. "Gin?"

            Ginny looked up from a few seats down. "Mm hmm?"

            "What are they thinking?" she asked, smiling as she put her hair up in a ponytail. Two long strands framed her face. 

            Ginny looked ahead, staring. A spasm of concentration passed her face and she then brightened. "They think your powers are cool and wonder if you're going to teach them that."

            "That all?"

            "Uh-huh. A few scattered thoughts about you being freaky, but in general they like it," she replied evenly. Draco kissed her on the temple and she beamed at him. "I'm getting better!"

            The rest of dinner was uneventful, until a lone owl swept through the mess hall, cooing as it found Harry. 

            Harry took the letter, offering some of his food to the owl that shook its beak and was flying again through an open window high above. 

            Harry's face darkened as he continued to read. Finally, Hermione and Ron leaned over Harry's two shoulders' to read it. Their eyes widened. 

            Harry looked up, and said sharply, "meeting immediately in the King Arthur room." He then stood, tossed his linen napkin down and stalked angrily out of the room. 

            The rest of the table shared quick looks before all following him out. Arabella announced that the students shouldn't worry and they will get to the bottom of it right away. If they wanted, they could go where they wanted and any problems should be reported to them right away. 

            With that, she quickly followed the retreating backs of Remus and Mundungus.

**-**

            "Okay, Harry," said Cho, "you've got us riled up and now you can tell us what's so bloody important!"

            "Death Eaters," he muttered, rubbing his temples with his two hands. The letter lay facedown in front of him. 

            "Where?" asked Neville. 

            "Outside London." Replied Harry, his voice tight. "There's been a few rowdy… I guess, deserters. They started their own band. Leeches."

            The hate in his voice reached a high. Hermione took charge. 

            "So who is going in?" she asked, looking at him. "I, for one, am not going to sit around and watch them do –" she glanced at the paper "—horrendous things. Who's coming?"

            Harry looked up, grateful and nodded. "Me."

            Ron and Draco also nodded. "We'll come."

            Hermione nodded back and looked at everyone else. "Then you can all stay here and take care of the school? I'm sure the four of us will be okay."

            The group nodded, and Harry stood. "Oliver? Can you and Sirius run the school while I'm gone? Reply to letters, lead the classes and excuse ours? Thanks."

            With that, Harry looked at the three who volunteered to go. "We leave tomorrow morning. Right away."

            The meeting was dismissed and the group left. Hermione went straight to bed; tomorrow was going to be a long day.

**-**

            The sun was just rising as Hermione, Harry, Ron and Draco mounted their broomsticks. Oliver, Lavender and Ginny stood outside with them, and Sirius was just a little behind, watching with careful eyes. 

            "If we're not back by the end of the week," began Harry in a low voice to Oliver, "then assume the worst, all right?"

            Oliver nodded, praying that that wouldn't happen, and moved over to where Hermione double-checked her clothing, items and other magic. 

            "Be careful, will you?" he asked, kissing her on the cheek. She nodded, biting her lip, but hugged him tightly back and watched Harry raise his arm. That was the signal; they were off. 

            Soon, Bingingham Castle, the people seeing them off, and the grounds were a tiny speck in the distance, the mist swirling in around before it disappeared all together. 

            Harry whistled, and the group lined up around him. "Okay, they're in London, so we need to keep our profiles low and down, okay? We want people to think we're muggles, like them."

            The group nodded, and kept their eyes straight ahead, on their destination. All too soon, the Tower of London appeared, and then a little further away Big Ben. They landed in a courtyard near the clock tower, shrinking their brows and invisibility cloaks in their pockets. Harry nodded once and they began walking down the street. 

            It was quiet for the morning, as no one was out. 

            "What's going on?" muttered Ron to Hermione. "Where are all the people?"

            She fidgeted, "I don't know."

            Harry's emerald gaze swept across the street, and almost instantly people began appearing as they turned the corner. There were stalls, stands, people were bargaining and selling items of all sorts. 

            "Now this wasn't expected," said Draco huffily. Hermione fully agreed but said nothing. The Salvation and Old Crowd hadn't told the Renaissance about anything _like this_. They began walking down the middle of the stands, listening to the people all around them ask if they wanted to buy a watermelon, how about this necklace for a pretty lady? Or perhaps they would like a VISA pass to get out of England? Hermione's head swam with all their talk, and she began to feel dizzy. 

            "Ron," she called weakly. He was at her side instantly, his blue eyes shown with concern. He tried to grab her arm but she slipped through; she was dematerializing right there in the courtyard. 

            "Harry! Draco!" he shouted, as they were a few stalls ahead of them. They turned and came back to where Ron was kneeling on the ground with Hermione, her head in his lap. 

            "Is the young lady all right? Shall we call a doctor?" asked a few of the stall personal. 

            Ron shooed them off, saying that she hadn't been home for years and was overwhelmed and she needed space. 

            Harry placed a hand behind Hermione's head. "Can you walk?"

            "I think so," she murmured, and tried to stand. Ron helped her from behind, pushing on her back. Harry placed an arm around her and together she and her best friends walked linked towards where Draco was. 

            "Spotted them?"

            "Yeah," he replied, growling. "They're over there, in that bar. Drinking."

            "What else is new?" muttered Ron, still holding on to Hermione. He turned his attention to her. "Can you stand now?"

            "Yeah," she smiled at him and Harry, standing fine. "I was just… surprised of all this, that's all."

            Harry and Ron nodded, understandingly. Draco asked, "Should we go in? Bust them?"

            "Not until dark. Now, we wait and we watch," answered Harry, his emerald eyes burning darker. The group nodded and sat down across from the bar at an ice cream shop, eating a banana split, waiting. 

            And watching. 

**-**

            Twilight settled soon, and the group of young rowdy Death Eaters walked out of the bar, laughing and slurring their talk. 

            They began to walk down the street, towards the darker and nightlife part of the city. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco followed quietly behind, their eyes dark and their moves fluid. 

            Soon, the Death Eaters were talking to a plump man wearing expensive clothing. His suit was custom-made, obviously, to fit his large body. 

            Harry followed her gaze and watched the man talk with the Death Eaters, looking nervous and his beady eyes traveling from side to side. Soon, the Death Eaters entered the building behind him, once they saw a gaudy-dressed women step out from the doorway. 

            "A whore house," snorted Draco, "what a fine example they set for the Dark Lord's men."

            Harry grinned and nodded. "Well, after you, gentlemen."

            "Excuse me?" asked Hermione, her hands on her hips. "I think you're forgetting that you're in the company of a _lady_, Potter."

            Harry bowed, "many apologies, my dear, would you care to join us in this evil building?"

            "Thought you'd never ask," she replied, and together they began to walk closer to man. "Harry," giggled Hermione, "doesn't he remind you of Dudley?"

            Harry looked the man over once they were close enough and nodded. "He does. Why, he'd be a splitting image of Dudley."

            As they got closer, Ron swore and whispered harshly, "That _is_ Dudley!"

            The three who knew the man gapped openly when they reached him. Draco was the only one who looked cool and reformed. 

            "Why, hello," the man said as they got closer to him. "How can I help you gentlemen tonight? Perhaps… someone to tango with?"

            Harry stared at the man in horror. "Dudley?"

            The man's eyes widened as he looked over Harry, his gaze settling on Harry's lightning-bolt scar. 

            "H-Harry?" he stammered. "W-What are you d-doing here? In L-London? I thought that y-you and your _friends_ were somewhere else. What are you doing for income _now_, huh?"

            Harry's gaze fell past Dudley towards the building. Dudley followed his gaze and coughed. 

            "Dudley… you're a pimp," stated Harry dryly. "I don't think you should be talking."

            Hermione stifled a laugh. 

            "H-Harry…" coughed Dudley. "D-Did you come here for a reason?"

            "Actually, we did," stepped up Ron, stepping beside Harry. Dudley cowered beneath Ron's tall presence, his flaming red hair, and piercing blue eyes. Hermione and Draco also stepped up. Dudley visibly shook under Draco's steely stare, and his hard features. However…

            When he spotted Hermione, he went to goo. "Why, hello there, how do you do?" he asked, extending a hand with many rings on it. 

            Hermione raised an eyebrow in disgust. "I've been better," she replied, eyeing him. Dudley looked unfazed, and asked, "would you like to come in?"

            "Not really," said Hermione, "But there's someone in there I would like to speak to."

            "Really?" Dudley's interest perked up. "Who? Claudia? Marie-Anne? Madelyn? Lisa?"

            Hermione's cool gaze hardened. "Not one of your whores, Dudley, the men who just went in. I wish to speak to them."

            "Well," he gave a cocky grin, "you might have to wait a bit. At least an hour."

            Hermione's hand stretched out and slapped Dudley on the round cheek before any of her friends realized it. "Do _not_ get all superior on me, Dudley Dursley!"

            Harry caught her hand and pulled her to him. "Dudley, let us in. I'll… calm down my friend here," he said and winked. Dudley nodded, his mouth a wide grin. 

            "Right this way," he said, opening the door. They stepped through.

            "Harry, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Hermione hissed. Harry turned to stare at her. 

            "Herm, you could've gotten our plan spoiled. I know that you have some… err… issues about this particular plan but you need to keep in focus, okay?" said Harry, his voice low. To anyone else, it would've looked like he was whispering sweet nothings in her ear. 

            "Harry… they're in there," said Dudley. "I introduced you as my cousin, because well… you've changed. You're not the scrawny"—he choked—"wizard you used to be."

            Harry nodded, verbally thanking him but mentally thinking, _wonderful. They know a Harry is coming now. **But** they think he's a muggle. Ah, what a surprise they'll have._

            "Ready?" he asked the others. They nodded. 

            Dudley pushed open the door and said, "I'll be walking around, the upstairs floors. If you need me, send one of my girls to come fetch me. I won't bother you." He finished by leering at Hermione, who shuddered. 

            Again, Harry thanked him and stepped into the low-light room. The Death Eaters had shed their robes and masks. 

            "Nott," growled Draco, whispering it so quietly that Hermione thought she imagined him speaking. "And Avery's kid… Moon… and Parkinson… PANSY??"

            Hermione turned to look around the room, and saw Pansy Parkinson there, lounging by a fireplace, eating Lindor chocolates. 

            "Hello," she purred. "That Dursley man said that you wanted to talk to us? And you're his cousin Harry?"

            Because the four were in the shadows, the Death Eaters could not see their faces, their expressions. Their wands were already out, ready to kill. 

            Harry nodded at Ron, Hermione and Draco who were all lined up on his right. 

            "Accio!" they cried, using their free hands, palms outstretched. The Death Eater's wands flew into their waiting hands, which they promptly snapped in two.

            Pansy, Christopher Nott, Jonathan Avery and Madison Moon all stood, their faces dark and growling. 

            "Do you know who you're dealing with you rogue wizards?" growled Nott, his square-faced pushed up to look like a wolf snarling. 

            Again, Harry nodded and the group stepped into the light. The looks on the Death Eater's faces were priceless. 

            "H-Harry Potter?" stumbled Moon, his handsome features scared and eyes wide. "H-Hermione Granger and R-Ronald Weasley… and Malfoy!"

            "That's right," said Draco in his usual Slytherin drawl. "I'm here and so are the others. And we're going to kick your asses back to Voldemort himself."

            Pansy shrieked, "No you're not! You've been frozen for four years! Your magic is gone, like everyone else's! You don't know how to use magic anymore!"

            "Oh?" asked Hermione, smirking slightly. It was a look that not many lived to see. "You're mine Parkinson," she grinned, the fire's light making her cinnamon eyes look dark and threateningly. 

            "Then bring it, Mudblood!" she screamed back, tossing her straight brown hair behind her shoulder. 

            Instantly, she screamed in pain. Hermione's left palm faced Pansy, her eyes glittering in the dark. At this, Harry went straight for Avery, landing a punch square in the jaw. Draco moved off to spar with Nott, and Ron grinned happily at Moon, before dodging a punch to his head. 

            "Enjoying this much, Parkinson? This is what it feels like for all those innocents you and your Death Eaters kill!" snapped Hermione, stepping closer with each word. She dropped her hand, and Pansy's screams stopped. She panted heavily, lying on a bunch of pillows by the fireplace. 

            "You can't have… all that power… for someone in… status," whimpered Pansy in pain. Hermione's face looked positively livid as she knelt as Pansy's level, the flames of the fire licking up against the wall in a seductive dance behind Pansy. 

            "I can and I do," she whispered. "And I know how to use it to my advantage," she added, grinning. Pansy suddenly lashed out at her with her long nails, but they went right through Hermione. 

            "Witch!" she screamed, backing up as far as she could away from Hermione. Hermione, though, laughed. 

            "Yes, dear, I've been one since I was born and so have you," she laughed. "What? Afraid of your own kind now?"

            Pansy's lowered lip trembled. "Are you going to kill me?" she whispered. 

            "I don't know," answered Hermione honestly. She turned her head and called over her shoulder, "Harry, do we kill 'em?"

            However, as she did so, Pansy charged at her and pushed her away, slamming Hermione's body into the wall across the room. 

            She moaned in pain, but got up holding her head lightly. Pansy was staring at her, and for a moment, Hermione felt as if time had slowed. She watched Harry point his wand at Avery, and a jet of green flashing light appeared out of it. Avery fell to the ground dead. Ron slammed his iron-fist into Moon's cheek, blood and spit flying away from Ron's fist. His checked swelled immensely and within seconds he too was on the ground dead. Draco looked as if he hadn't even broken a sweat; Nott was already down and dead. 

            Time sped up, and Hermione's face felt the contact of a fist and nails rake her cheek. Gasping, she blinked and saw Pansy glaring at her.

            "We thought you were dead. We thought you were all dead," she snarled. "I hate you, I hate you Hermione Granger! Not only do you stand for good and purification, you turned the only person I ever loved against me and my friends – Draco Malfoy!" 

            Hermione shot a glance at him. He looked merely bored. 

            "I hate you to death," she whispered darkly. "Your new magic and your new image… I will personally kill you one day – one day, Granger. Watch your back."

            "As do you," she snapped. Her palm again was out and Pansy withered on the ground, screaming in agony. "Have a nice life."

            A flash of green came from her wand, and Pansy's screams stopped. Her lifeless eyes stared up at Hermione in shock. 

            At first, Hermione didn't realize it until the weight of it all collapsed on her. They had killed. 

            "That was wrong," she whispered suddenly. "It was all wrong. No matter what they did, what _we_ did was wrong."

            "Come on, Herm, let's go back to Bingingham," cooed the voice of Ron. Hermione felt someone lifting her, placing the invisibility cloak over her, enlarging her broom. 

            And then she fainted.

**-**

            Hermione opened her eyes and nearly had a heart attack. Instead of seeing her star-twinkling sky-look-a-like ceiling, she was looking up at a pasty off-white one. 

            "She's awake!" said Harry's voice. Hermione groaned, rolled onto her side and brought a large handful of a comforter with her. Seconds later, she heard someone swear obscenely and a thump.

            Draco laughed. "Potter! What a nice position you're in! You should lie on the floor more often!"

            Harry growled something back in return, and Draco rolled off the other motel bed, his feet in the air as he was caught between the wall and the bed. 

            "Hello? Can someone help me?" he called weakly out. Ron laughed.

            "Okay, what happened?" murmured Hermione, tossing the comforters away from her warm body. 

            "You passed out after we… err… 'disposed' of some Death Eaters," explained Draco from the floor. Harry sat down back on the bed. 

            "How do you feel?" he asked. 

            "Like shit, Harry, what do you expect? I can't believe we _killed_ people." She sighed, close to tears. "We are no better than them!"

            "Hermione," said Harry softly, "they hurt many more people. They killed without a thought. We save a few people now because they're dead. It was for the better."

            "We shouldn't play with people lives that way!" she wailed, sobbing. "I want Oliver…"

            Harry, Ron and Draco all sighed. Ron helped Draco out from behind the bed and they stared at the sobbing girl in front of them. 

            "Well, I suppose we should head back," said Ron. "We're not too far from Bingingham. And if Herm wants to be with Oliver, we should get back before she goes PMS on us."

            "I _heard that_ Ronald Isaac Weasley," came a low voice.

            Ron gulped and laughed weakly. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

**-**

            Hermione was subdued for the rest of the trip home, staring ahead and answering questions in "yes", "no" and in the softest voice. 

            The three men traveling with her knew that something was wrong and that she needed Oliver immensely at that moment. 

            The second they touched down at Bingingham castle, they were greeted by students, by Sirius and Remus, and Oliver. Oliver had raced down the steps, seeing Hermione.

            He stopped short of her. "Hermione?"

            She was pale and tired; her cinnamon eyes a dull brown. "It was wrong," she whispered, before Oliver darted forward and caught her in his arms. Her students, and little Lindsay murmured, "what's wrong with Professor Granger, Professor Wood?"

            Oliver's face was stricken with worry as he looked at Harry. "We're talking."

            Harry nodded and followed the worried Oliver into Hermione's room. He set Hermione down on her bed, and turned to face Harry, a snarl on his face. 

            "What happened to her?"

            "We killed them," said Harry simply, staring at his best friend's form on the bed. 

            "And?"

            "She thinks it was wrong. How we shouldn't kill them," sighed Harry. "She kept repeating, 'this is wrong, it's all wrong' and crap like that. I can understand… but… there's still the fact that if we hadn't killed them they'd be out there killing someone else… another innocent."

            Oliver nodded, wearily, and sat on the edge of the bed, running his hands through Hermione's hair. "Thanks," he said. "I'll take care of her from here."

            Harry nodded and told him to take as long as he needed, and that if they wanted anything, he'd have Dobby and Winky personally see to them.

            Oliver stayed by Hermione's side until she woke up, smiling at the sight of him worried sick over her. 

            "Are you okay? Do you need anything? Hot water? Some salt water to gurgle with or pizza? Anything?" he fretted, fluffing her pillows and smoothing her hair down. 

            She giggled. "Oliver… I'm fine. Really… I just… got freaked."

            "I know," he whispered, his eyes looking downcast now. "I don't know how you feel, but… I want to share the pain… the horrible thoughts of it all with you."

            Hermione's eyes welled up as she sat up, leaned forward, and wrapped her slender arms around Oliver's broad shoulders. Laying them flat on his back, she pulled him close. 

            "Just hold me," she whispered, her voice choked with tears. Oliver nodded, mutely, wrapping his strong, muscular Quidditch arms around his love. 

            "I'd do anything you ask, love," he whispered into her hair, as they sat holding each other close, for the rest of the evening.

**-**

            A few days later, Hermione emerged from her room, Oliver still fretting over her, but not as much as before. They went back to teaching their classes, knowing sooner of later subconsciously that she – and Oliver – would have to fight and kill again.

            "Looks like you've decided to visit us for once, Hermione," said Draco, and Hermione shot him an "eat me" look. Oliver also glared at him, but before the room could become any tenser, Harry spoke up.

            "Herm? Any new theories?" he asked quietly. 

            "Basically, if you want your new powers, don't think about them. Let them come when they think _you're_ ready for them," she said. "We're just special, okay? I don't know why we have them and I really couldn't care less." In a huff, she slouched in her seat, crossed her arms and glared at everyone from underneath her bangs. 

            _What's wrong?_ Ginny's voice ventured into Hermione's "happy place".

            _I don't want to talk about it, but basically, I hate this. I hate living in hiding and not taking out Voldemort right now,_ she replied, her eyes at a spot fixed on the wall above Ron's head. _I hate the killing. We're no better than those Death Eaters._

            He kept glancing at her, and Ginny, somehow guessing they were talking to each other. Those two had always been a bit closer than Hermione had been with Lavender and Parvati, or her twin, Padma.

            _I know what you mean, but we can't go to Hogwarts right now, you know. You've barely mastered **some** control over your mutations, and what about the rest of us? I've been talking and reading animal minds for the past three days, how the bloody hell do you think I feel?_ Came Ginny's sarcastic reply. Hermione stifled a snort and sank lower in her chair when Oliver glanced over at her.

            _Gee, someone didn't take her daily requirement of Prozac this morning, did she?_ Asked Hermione humorlessly. Ginny's eyes glittered in the light dangerously.

            _Two words for you later, Granger: DEAD MEAT,_ said Ginny, glaring at Hermione in mock-anger poise. 

            Ron choked as he caught the last frame of thought beside his sister, and Seamus, on the other side of her paled. Both men turned to snap at Ginny, only to realize no one else seemed to care about what she said – _wait, thought_, they finished in their minds. She had thought that and sent that message to Hermione, who was battering her eyelashes innocently at Ginny.

            _Only if you can catch me, Ginny dear,_ replied Hermione, before verbally saying, "Excuse me, I feel a migraine coming on from all this circled opinions." With that, she sank into the ground, disappearing. 

            "What room is below this?" demanded Ginny instantly. 

            "Transfiguration, Advanced," replied Fred instantly, staring at his little sister confused. 

            "Thanks," she said, but as she got up, Seamus pushed her back down. 

            "You are _so_ not going after Hermione, Ginny. Besides, I doubt that Oliver would like the fact that his girlfriend might become 'dead meat' if you catch her," he quipped. Ginny stared agape at him.

            "Y-You heard?" she stuttered, before pulling him out of the room after Hermione. 

            George and Fred shared bemused glances. "Well, I wonder what's between _them_," said a sinister looking Fred, a cocky WWW-trademark grin on his face. George had an identical one on his identical face to his brother's. 

            Harry and Ron groaned. This meeting was _not_ going the way they planned, so it was adjourned. 

**-**

            Ron hurried down the hallways after his sister and Seamus, wondering if she [Ginny] was really going to shish kabob Hermione.

            He began wishing for more speed to search the many hallways, and before he knew it, the gray slab concrete was whirling by in a swirl of colors. Ron was traveling faster than a normal human eye could handle, blurring every edge he came to, making airwaves as strong as a gust of wind.

            He found Ginny, Hermione and Seamus arguing, and stopped inches sort of colliding with Hermione, practically throwing her into the wall; though he doubted it would've hurt, she'd just go through the wall and come back slapping him senseless.

            "Hey," he said coolly. "Don't even think about making Hermione into a steak, Ginny."

            Hermione stared at Ron crazily, and Ginny promptly asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"

            Before he knew it, Seamus was briefing him in on the "talk" in the King Arthur room, saying that Ginny was trying to evoke Hermione into materializing out of the room so she could go after her, and then have a girl-to-girl talk.

            Ron felt silly right about then, and he knew his cheeks were burning. "Ah. I see."

            "But, something good came out of it," pointed Seamus. 

            "Oh, what?" Ginny snorted. "That Ron finally is getting some sense into his thick head?"

            "You know, everyday you start to sound more and more like Malfoy," said Ron darkly, glaring down at his little sister.

            "That," stressed Hermione, "you found your mutation."

            Ron's jaw dropped, and so did Ginny's. 

            "Him?" she shrieked, just as Ron yelled hoarsely, "Me?"

            Seamus and Hermione laughed. Hermione said, "quite so. Ron's mutation, I suppose, is super speed. Great job. Now you can move at the speed of sound, Ronniekins."

            Ron blanched before he fell to the ground in a dead faint. 

            "Well, I didn't think he'd take it _that_ badly," he heard Ginny comment before he knew nothing. 

**-**

            "…Well, as we were all frozen at the same time, it's safe to say that our mutations will start to appear at the same time, appearing when we need them for unknown reasons. In Ron's case, to stop Ginny from murdering me, if that had truly been her intent," Ron heard someone say above him. He knew that voice. 

            It was the bossy know-it-all from his first year, oh yeah, Hermione Granger. She was his best friend, _and_ girlfriend for two hours before they broke up (mutually) in fifth year.

            Ron's eyes opened and his saw Lavender's head first. She stroked his cheek and said, "Ron, you're not going to like this."

            "Tell me about it," he moaned, sitting up. "Why does everything have to happen to me?"

            "Er," Harry said, looking uncomfortable. "Ron…"

            "What?"

            "While you were sleeping—"

            "Fainted you mean, Harry," imputed Ginny. 

            "—Fainted, Ron," Harry choked. 

            Hermione took over, "Lavender, Harry and Draco all received their mutations. Harry has super magical abilities, it's absolutely crazy. Lavender has these weird Trelawney moments and can predict things. Actually, you're supposed to faint at the end of my sentences. Oh! And Draco can fly without a broom, much like his bouncing ferret self back in fourth year. So, what do you think?"

            True to Lavender, Ron fainted again. Ginny grinned cheekily, "For someone with super speed, his brain sure is slow."

**-**


	7. Chapter Six: 4U

Pandora's Box

_Kneazle_

_DC: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot._

_AN: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, the Renaissances become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: they fight and teach, and have similar powers to: ex, Hermione = Kitty Pryde [Feb. 20, 02]_

**-**
    
    **_I'm about to break, this is my fate_**
    
    **_Am I still damned to a life,_**
    
    **_Of misery and hate?_**
    
    **_You will never know_**
    
    **_What I'd do for you_**
    
    **_What you are_**
    
    **_Help me through_**
    
    **_I'd do it for you_**
    
    **_I could have, never lived_**
    
    **_If it wasn't, for you_**

_ – KoRn, "4U"___

**~**

Chapter Six

            The room was dark and clammy, smelling of rot and something one couldn't identify with. The young woman walked down this hallway, pausing at this certain room. It used to be the Hogwarts Headmaster's office, but that day nearly four and a half years ago ousted Albus Dumbledore, and he ended up with Minerva McGonagall's old job, and she was stuck helping to teach younger students how to hex and kill.

            The young woman was slender, tall and overall a very pretty young woman. She had been a graduate of one of the most elite magical post-secondary educations when Voldemort struck Hogwarts, applying there for job for the next year. She just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Selene Sinistra was the niece of Professor Sinistra at Hogwarts before everything had happened. The brunette was exceptionally bright, actually, but had one _disability_ that no one but her Auntie Maybell understood. Selene could not see well during the day, in fact, the rays of the sun seemed to bounce off the earth twice as brightly as they should. She could see perfectly fine at night. 

            _"Your eyes are beautiful, Selene. Don't magically correct them!"_

_            "I hate my eyes, Auntie Maybell! Everyone makes fun of me at school!"_

_            "No, no, Selene. Your eyes… are **purr**fect."_

_            "That joke is so old, Auntie. But I want to change my eyes – how can I show my face with these hideous cat's eyes?"_

            Yes, Selene's eyes were catlike, being tightly almond shaped, and with a high tint of yellow in them, making her see everything sharper and clearer at night. Hence, her daytime vision was severely jeopardized. 

            _Bugger this all,_ she thought glumly, until she paused to catch a falling quill. She picked it up when a high pitch voice chilled her to her bones. 

            "What do you mean, four Death Eaters in London were killed?" came the voice of her Lord, Voldemort. 

            Selene strained her ears, trying to listen. 

            "A-Apparently, milord, Pansy Parkinson, Jonathan Avery, Madison Moon and Christopher Nott were all involved in a struggle. There was blood on Pansy's nails and Avery and Nott had swells on the back of their heads and cheeks. Then, after, their attackers used the killing curse on them," reported the voice. Selene knew it; it was the voice of Professor Snape.

            "Any idea which wizards did this?" came the soft-spoken voice of the protégé, Tom Riddle. Selene shuddered; he was far too creepy to have any woman fancy him, with his blank face and cool scarlet eyes, but any woman could admit he was good-looking. 

            "None, sir. The four were in a whore house, and its owner says he has no idea why anyone would kill his customers," said Snape. "Dursley wasn't that stupid to allow any wizard in. In fact, he hates most wizards and witches."

            "Dursley?" asked Tom Riddle. Selene wondered why Voldemort hadn't punished him yet; he may be a protégé, but one should never speak aloud in front of the Lord like that, without asked.

            "Yes, Dudley Dursley."

            Selene jumped and widened her eyes when she heard Tom hiss venomously, _"Potter."_

            "Potter?" Snape squeaked. "Out of status? Could he have…?"

            "Yes," snarled Voldemort. "If someone had found him. We had reports of rogue magic all around the Malfoy Manor, the Granger residence in London and even some near the Weasley's."

            "He's escaped," said Snape blankly. Nothing was said. 

            Selene continued moving, slowly as if not to miss anything after that but enough to not be caught eavesdropping. 

            Protecting her thoughts, she mused, _I must leave here! I must tell the world that Harry Potter has escaped!_

**-**

            Her Aunt Maybell clucked her tongue in her astronomy room, disapproving of her niece's plan, but not stopping her. 

            She finished pinning everything together and stood. "You're ready," she said blankly. "I shall miss you, you realize?"

            "Of course, Auntie Maybell," said Selene softly, "but I must go. I really do."

            "You know it shall be dangerous."

            "Of course."

            "And you might not make it out alive," continued Sinistra. 

            "Yes, Auntie Maybell, I know. Please, make it no harder on me," she sniffed. "Dumbledore's death still holds tight to me like a vice grip."

            Sinistra nodded, hanging her head. "I understand. Go."

            Selene hugged her aunt once, whispering she loved her, and went down to the cells. She was on food duty, and she needed to feed the growing number of prisoners down there before she left. 

            "Hullo, Selene," said a young woman walking towards her. Selene smiled. 

            "Ah, Sarah! Do you want to come with me down to the dungeons? I don't fancy feeding them myself," commented Selene, shuddering. "It's so… morbid down there."

            "All right," said Sarah reluctantly. "I guess it'll be fine for me to miss a few minutes of my lesson."

            Together, they walked down to the dungeons, Sarah commenting on Fleur Delacour and Percy Weasley's conditions. 

            "They seem so sad down there. Oh, do I ever wish to take their pain away, allow them out to see the sun once again!" she said. Their footsteps tapped and echoed lightly against the gray slabs around them. Selene glanced to the side; almost expecting the long-aged cat called Mrs. Norris, but she had been killed the day Filch had been, refusing to leave his side. 

            A loyal pet to the end.

            _Will you be loyal until the end?_ Asked a voice in Selene's head. Though it was the Dark Lord's, she jumped startled.

            Beside her, oblivious to it all, Sarah rambled on. Finally, with Sarah's help, Selene and her finished the cells, eventually moving to Fleur and Percy's cell.

            "Hullo," said Percy, tight-lipped. "Come to give us some more of the Death Eater's scraps?"

            Selene flinched. Percy had gotten worse lately, sarcastic and demanding, taking it out on all but Fleur. "Sarah?" she asked, turning to the young woman. 

            "Hmm?"

            "What would you say if I said I was going to leave Hogwarts?" she asked nervously. Talking like this could get her killed on the spot, if she wasn't careful. 

            Sarah's eyes widened. "You're planning on leaving?"

            "Tonight," she replied, lying a little. "Would you tell our Lord?"

            "If he asks, _only_," replied Sarah, grinning. "You've been a friend since I was left here. I wouldn't do anything to give you away."

            "Good. You should go to your class. Goodbye, Sarah. You've been a friend till the end," she hugged the girl briefly and watched her go. Percy and Fleur watched this in interest. Once Selene was sure that Sarah had disappeared, she turned to the two captives, silencing them with a finger to her lips. 

            She magically opened the cell doors, and motioned them to follow her, as she was breaking them out. 

            Percy in stealth followed her, and Fleur behind with greater grace than she had. She motioned, waving her hand, _this way_. 

            They had reached the Great Hallway doors, and they slipped through unnoticed by anyone. Once outside, they made a mad-dash to the Forbidden Forest, apparating out of it once they were far enough in.

            They appeared in the countryside, far, far away from Hogwarts and possibly outside Scotland. 

            "Thank you," said Percy, shaking her hand enthusiastically. "Thank you so much!"

            "_Oui_," started Fleur, before switching into English, "Yes, thank you. We are grateful of your help."

            "No problem. I heard some things that might be of use to you, though. I must find Harry Potter," she said. 

            "He's free? The other's did it then!" shouted Percy, hugging Fleur tightly before swinging her lithe body around in a full circle. Fleur laughed, shouted something in jubilancy in French, and then laughed so more.

            "You didn't know?" Selene frowned, her light brown hair blowing in the slight wind that smelt of rain.

            "No," laughed Percy, calming down. "We were part of the group going to find them to set them free – Oliver's group must have done it without us! The Grangers must have helped them!"

            "The Grangers are dead, Mr. Weasley," said Selene softly, her eyes searching the skies. She seemed to be looking for something in particular. "Ah, the North Star, let's head this way."

            She began walking west when Percy and Fleur caught up with her. 

            "Dead?" whispered Fleur. Selene nodded, glancing over her shoulder at the part-veela. For someone who had been so composed when she was brought in, she didn't act like it now.

            "Yes, dead. They died a few months ago, actually, after the Death Eaters searched the area and found traces of magic leading to their house."

            "And?" Percy asked hoarsely. "Did they escape?"

            "The Grangers?" Selene shook her head. "Of course not. The others who preformed the magic did, though. Didn't know who did it. Actually, a couple days ago, four rogue wizards tracked and murdered four Death Eaters in London, and The Dark Lord said it was Harry Potter."

            "You want to find them?" asked Fleur, suddenly narrowing her eyes as they continued walking. "Why? Did you set us free because your _Lord_ wanted you to?"

            "Of course not," she snapped. "I am Professor Selene Eve Sinistra, Hogwarts teacher. I, though, will never be considered a Dark Arts teacher, as I am perfectly a Voldemort-hater, not _supporter_," she said, spitting out the last word. "I shall not succumb to his will ever."

            "Nice speech," commented Percy dryly, "but where are we heading?"

            "Err," Selene looked around. "I honestly don't know. I was thinking, head in this direction until it rains, sleep, and then keep walking until we get somewhere. Maybe a building by pure luck."

            "The stars are looking down on us today," whispered Fleur to Percy, who sighed and nodded, saying they'd follow. Selene nodded, and together the three of them walked into dense brush, wondering if Voldemort would follow them.

**-**

            Ron finally woke up a couple of hours later, realizing that he'd have to accept the fact that now others were getting their powers and soon enough that their time to strike Voldemort might be sooner than they realized.

            He listened to the steady pounding of rain against the stain glass window, striking it forcefully before letting its contents slide down peacefully. 

            "Ron," began Lavender, who sat next to him on the bed, "are you… upset now that you have your powers?"

            "No, not really," he sighed, looking out the window. He could see the slight color distortion where the mist hung in the distance.

            "But… how do you feel? I mean, you _fainted_," she said, smoothing her dirty blonde hair down. 

            "I really don't know, Lav"—Ron was cut off as a shrill alarm went off throughout the castle. "What the!" He threw the covers back, ignored the pounding in his head as he threw on his work shirt, not buttoning it up. He and Lavender left the hospital room, running down the corridors before Ron's super speed kicked in. 

            He left Lavender running behind him, before he spotted Oliver and Hermione standing in the Entrance Hall. Harry came running down the spiral staircase seconds later, and Lavender a few minutes later. Everyone began popping up. 

            "Keep the students back!" Shouted Harry, glaring behind him, his wand out and facing the door. Arabella, Cho, Seamus and Dean began to bring the students back like policemen, pushing them further and further up the staircase until Hermione sank into the tiles.

            "Where's she going?" demanded Draco, his eyes wide as he looked around, thinking Hermione would pop up a second later behind him.

            "I don't know," replied Oliver. He turned to look at Ginny, whose eyes searched the area. 

            "She's below us… traveling… outside!" she said, blinking in surprise. "She… she says that she's going to check out what's out there tripping the alarm off, but won't take a true look by stepping out of the ground. She says also to stay inside the school and will relay messages via me."

            Harry nodded, relaxing his hold. He glanced behind him again and saw the students scared faces. "All right. I think you should all go to your rooms, and start doing your homework. We'll deal with this as we can."

            The students mutely began walking up the stairs, the older ones ushering the younger, who were tear-streaked. 

            Once they were gone, Harry sighed. "Sirius, I'd hate to ask you this –"

            Sirius placed a hand up to stop his Godson. "I understand completely, Harry. Remus, Bella, Mundungus? Let's go patrol the halls upstairs."

            The four of them then left, their wands out and ready to protect the students with their lives if it truly was Voldemort and his Death Eaters. 

            Dean glanced back at Harry. "What now?"

            "We wait."

**-**

            Hermione finished sending Ginny the message and then found herself surrounded by an intense white mist. She sent her thoughts forward and found the three intruders, who were more lost than she was. 

            Gladly, she jogged ahead a few paces, found herself in swirling white mist around her feet before she allowed her body to rearrange the atoms of a huge tree truck. Slipping in it, she leaned forward and watched the three come closer to where she was. 

            "Where are we?" the first voice asked, clearly confused. "Is this England still?"

            The second, a French voice, clipped, "Well, obviously, Selene, where else would we be?"

            They appeared in Hermione's view and she nearly fell out of the tree in shock; it was Fleur, Percy and this other lady – but more so, it was _Percy_ and _Fleur_ and _they were all right!_

            _Ginny!!_ Hermione screamed in her mind. Back in the castle, Ginny swore colorfully and tripped over her feet, barely catching herself.

            _What!_ She replied.

            _It's Percy! And Fleur! They're all right!_ Replied Hermione happily, grinning in the tree crazily. She watched them pass, before she leaned out, half in and half out of the tree. Her torso and waist were visible but everything below was not. 

            _WHAT?_ Ginny's voice rocked in Hermione's mind.

            _Yeah, that was my first thought too,_ she grinned. _Shall I talk to them?_

            _They're alone? Here?_

            _Well… not alone…_

            _HERMIONE! _Came a new voice. Hermione was startled to realize it was Harry. She bit her lips in confusion to respond verbally and not mentally, but landed softly out of the tree, trailing closely behind the three. 

            _Harry? Since when can you do this?_ She asked, tilting her head.

            _Since now. Who's with Percy and Fleur?_

            _This… brunette lady. She could pass for a cousin or relative of Draco's, actually. She looks like a brown haired veela, Harry. She's gorgeous, and she… well… I don't know. Should I talk to Percy and Fleur?_ She wondered, sinking into a rock as Fleur looked suspiciously back.

            "I think someone is following us," she whispered to Percy, who looked back. 

            "Fleur, don't be paranoid. There's no one here," he snapped. "Selene, slow down, we can't keep up!"

            _Ah! Her name is Selene… you know? She reminds me of Sinistra._

            _Professor Sinistra?_ Ginny had joined the conversation again. 

            _Yes, the very same. They look a bit alike too,_ said Hermione, her head above the rock. _Can I please talk to them now?_

            _Sure. Have fun,_ said Harry. 

            _We'll tell the others. See you later Herm. Oliver sends his love_ said Ginny giddily. 

            _Tell him I love him,_ melted Hermione, feeling her atoms rearrange everything she stepped on. She sank a few inches into the ground and often felt light-headed. 

            She grinned as she saw them pause in the forest by a stream. Selene, the tall brunette, sat on a rock and Fleur went waddling into the river. 

            "Be careful," warned Percy. Fleur nodded, retorting in French. Percy grinned, tugged hi shoes off and wiggled his toes. "Ah, that feels good. How long have we been walking?"

            His red hair was plastered to his head, dripping wet, and he was much paler than he used to be. 

            "About the whole day now," said Selene, her own brown hair looking clammy and heavy. Fleur alone looked calm and unaware of how wet she was.

            Hermione began walking up to them, not making a sound as her feet disappeared through fallen branches and rocks. She watched Percy yawn, stretch and tilt his head back. 

            "I wonder how my little brothers are doing."

            "How old are they?" asked Selene, making conversation. Percy sat up again, put his shoes on and replied. 

            "Fred and George are twins, and they are both twenty-three I think," said Percy, as he jumped up, swinging himself from a thick tree branch. He then curled his spine, lifted his legs and pulled himself up to sit on the branch. He reached forward and plucked an apple from its place. "Ron would be twenty-one, part of the group who was frozen by Voldemort all those years ago. And Ginny, our little sister and youngest, is a year younger than Ron. Twenty she is."

            He tossed the apple down, and Selene caught it easily. "I don't have any siblings. Professor Sinistra… or rather, my Auntie Maybell, is my only living relative now."

            "Parents?" asked Percy, turning away from her. Hermione decided to make her move now. She sidled up to the truck, rearranged the atoms when Selene wasn't looking, and allowed herself to be pulled up through its growth patterns. 

            She appeared on a branch opposite and just as thick as Percy's. As he reached for another apple near her hand, she plucked it before him and offered it out.

            "My parents died in a raid in London, led by Voldemort," said Selene from below. 

            "Here you go," said Hermione, offering the apple out to Percy's waiting hand. 

            "Oh, thank you," he replied, and Selene, below looked up asking, "what did you say?"

            Percy did a double take and instantly fell out of the tree.

            "Oh dear," said Hermione giggly. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

            Fleur screamed and came rushing out of the water to Percy's sided, who moaned and looked up. 

            "Where's the pixie?" he moaned. Selene was also at his side, and was stroking his forehead. 

            Hermione giggled as she jumped out of the tree, landing softly on the ground. She looked up and around at the group. She looked down at Percy and her laughing face turned serious. 

            "Oops," she said, kneeling by Percy's side. "Sorry, Percy. I didn't mean to scare you, you know. Ginny said it was okay for me to play a bit with you before taking you guys back to the castle. Here, let me heal that."

            She finished her quick explanation by placing her hand over a bump on the back of Percy's head. A soft green light appeared underneath her palm and seconds later the bump was gone. 

            Fleur stared at her before firing off a French verbal assault. 

            Hermione raised her hands, "whoa, Fleur, calm. All I'm suppose to do is take you to Bingingham Castle, all of you." She looked pointedly at Selene, as if asking, _who are you?_ But decided against it. 

            She motioned them to follow her right into the swirling mist that had reappeared a few paces later. 

            "We can't go that way, Hermione," said a groggy Percy, who stared at her. "We'll get lost in there."

            "No we won't," said Hermione. "That's where the castle is. Come on. With me as a guide you won't get lost. Ginny and Harry will lead us if we get lost."

            "Harry? As in Harry Potter?" Selene asked, her interest perking up instantly. "All right! Let's go!"

            Hermione stared at her, pondering her intentions, but dubbing her worthy she moved forward with Percy and Fleur a stone-throw behind her. Soon, they reached a tall, stone covered gate. 

            "One second," she said, before striding forcefully towards it. 

            "Hermione!" shouted three voices – Percy, Fleur and Selene's. 

            She went right through the gate, and opened it from the inside. "This way please," she instructed, and they filed in staring at her. 

            The gate closed with a loud snap. Percy gapped but said nothing as they walked in silence in the rain, the large castle growing larger with every pace. Soon, they were at the doors. Hermione grinned, posed like Vana White, and said, "Welcome to Bingingham Castle, also known as the Institute of Magical Studies."

            The trio gasped as the doors opened and a bunch of people stood waiting for them. Hermione moved to go talk with Oliver Wood, and Percy found himself in a giant Ron-and-Ginny bear hug. 

            Fleur and Padma were talking, and the brunette Hermione had said was named Selene went straight to talk to Harry. 

            After a few minutes, introductions were made, jokes were said, and hugs returned. Sirius finally came down the stairs, demanding to know where the fire was, but jumped when he saw Percy. 

            Soon, the rest of the school was around in the Great Hall. 

            "Can you tell the House Elves we'll be having an early dinner?" Harry asked Hermione. She nodded, kissed Oliver quickly on the cheek and sank into the ground. 

            Fleur screamed, pointing at the spot she used to be standing on. Percy walked over gingerly where she had stood, waving his hands around and muttering, "ingenious," over and over.

            Harry laughed, lead Selene by the arm into the Mess Hall, the students in front, with or behind the group. 

**-**

            "So let me get this straight," said Hermione over dinner, as they sat in their C-shaped table, "Voldemort has a protégé?"

            "Yes. And his name is Tom Riddle," Selene answered. 

            There were five sounds of people spitting their drinks/food out, five sounds of people coughing, and five exclamations of, "WHAT?"

            Selene, confused, described him, the five faces growing paler as she did so. "About Oliver's height, scarlet eyes, pale, messy black hair and relatively good-looking… um… quiet, morose, I suppose. Smart and powerful, too."

            Harry sighed. "About sixteen years old?"

            Selene shook her head. "Oh no! No, Tom is about your age, Harry."

            Ginny choked again, and sent her thoughts out to Draco, Harry, Ron and Hermione, _how the hell can Riddle be the same age of us if **he's** Voldemort?_

            Hermione shrugged, and Harry growled. Draco and Ron were impassive. 

            "Did I miss something here?" asked Seamus, looking around the table. 

            "Yeah," Cho agreed, "I feel like I'm missing the final piece to a jig-saw puzzle."

            "Tom Riddle," mused aloud Neville. "You can make the word 'Lord' out of his name, and have the letters, 't', 'm', 'i', 'd' and 'e' left."

            "Marvolo," said Ginny quietly. 

            "Pardon?" said Oliver.

            "Tom Riddle's middle name. Tom Marvolo Riddle," said Ginny very quietly. Neville quickly did the unscrambling in his head, and when he finished he swore. 

            "I Am Lord Voldemort?" he rasped out. "No letters left. It all fits. But, if Tom Riddle is Voldemort, how is there a Lord Voldemort?"

            Padma, Arabella, Hermione and Dean laughed out loud at the absurd sound of that phrase.

            Ron said, "In the second year, Ginny was… well, in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry and Tom (the past Voldemort) dueled. He was exactly as how Selene here described him. Whatever it is, Voldemort has become powerful enough to still have the powers he attained throughout the years and have a younger body."

            Hermione caught on. "He's using a polyjuice potion or something on someone to pretend _they're_ Voldemort, while the true Dark Lord is not wearing a mask but is standing out in the world."

            The high table went quiet, listening to the happy sounds of the students. Harry changed the subject. "Find any good spells for the transportation, Hermione?"

            Hermione placed down her fork, finished chewing and said, "actually, I think I may have stumbled upon something in my Great-Grandmother's BOS. Give me until tomorrow. I think I may have something that will work easily."

            Harry grinned at her, said, "that's my girl," before returning to his meal. Hermione seemed a bit worried about his lack of attention to the Voldemort situation, but said nothing. She did, however, tell this to Ron later that evening as they walked together back to their classrooms (Charms and Transfiguration were beside each other). 

            "I don't know, Herm," said Ron thoughtfully. "Remember back that first night when we said what we wanted to do once we defeat Voldemort?"

            "Yeah," said Hermione tight-lipped. "Harry said he just wanted to kill him, avenge people Voldemort killed… and then trailed off."

            "I wonder what he was going to say after it," commented Ron, opening the door. He shut it quickly, from his neck to his hair roots a bright red. 

            "What is it Ron?" asked Hermione, staring at him like he grew another head. "Something wrong…" she opened the door, and also shut it quickly. 

            "Well?" Ron squeaked. "Shall we use your classroom to get your things first?"

            Hermione nodded, and tried very hard to get the mental image of Sirius Black and Arabella Figg snogging out of her mind. Oh boy, did _she_ have a story to tell Oliver tonight.

**-**

            Hermione looked up from her desk, her fifth years talking excitedly as she had promised to teach them their first wandless magic lesson once they finished their work. She a few of them had a few questions left, Hermione was allowed time to rest and mark some papers when a newspaper landed in front of her. 

            "What's this?" she asked, looking up at Harry's cool face.

            "Read," he said coolly. Raising her eyebrows, she lifted the paper up and read it.

            _The Daily Prophet, Issue 4556, April 18_

**_            BOY WHO LIVED ALIVE AGAIN? AVENGING US ALL?_**

_            Can it be? Is it true? Rumors have fired off everywhere lately, but it's the truth people – Harry Potter is back! Along with his best friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, they are now in hiding, supposedly with Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Blaise Zabini and Lavender Brown._

_            Apparently, four months ago, a group of rogue wizards (Quidditch player, Keeper Oliver Wood, Fred and George Weasley, Percy Weasley, Fleur Delacour, Padma Patil, Cho Chang and recently deceased Roger Davis) had left their safety and homes to find clues as to where the locations of our heroes were. They were in that O'Sahar desert, actually, and they were set free!_

_            Joined them was Potter's Godfather, ex-convict Sirius Black, werewolf Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg and con artist Mundungus Fletcher. They had disappeared together, rumored to be starting a new Hogwarts for us all – for the new generation. This school has no proof of being in existence, but there are a group of children who have disappeared from their homes, and all are of magical descent. _

_            Now, as we all know, Hogwarts is home and location of all Dark (or **good**) Arts, lead by Lord Voldemort himself. There, students are taught the ways of a Death Eater and by the age of sixteen initiated into their group. _

_            Speaking of Death Eaters, four were found dead four days ago – Pansy Patricia Parkinson, Madison Scott Moon, Christopher Nott and Jonathan Edward Avery. Who killed them? Prime Minister Lucius Malfoy insists it were a band of rebel wizards, but this reporter believes it was none other than The Boy Who Lived._

_            So is it true? Are they back? I believe so, but the question is, does Britain?_

            Hermione sighed. "Harry, we're out in the open now. I feel like Batman."

            "Batman?" Harry asked, appalled. "Why Batman?"

            Hermione giggled a little before replying, "'cause he's got the bat-signal and we have the mark of fighting against Death Eaters."

            "Wouldn't they be like Batman, and us like Spiderman?" asked Harry, confused. "Batman has his bat-signal: the Dark Mark. Spiderman is good and just has his costumes and fights evil: like us."

            "I suppose," rolled her eyes, Hermione. "Knock down all my ideas, why don't you?"

            "No, not all." He said, he walking out of the room. "Just some."

            Hermione stood, smiled at her class and asked, "Ready to learn wandless magic?"

**-**

            Harry rubbed his temples as the new editions to the Renaissance, Salvation and Old Crowd sat around the King Arthur table. 

            "So what do we do now?" he asked suddenly, into the quiet room. No one moved, but a squeak came from someone shifted in his or her seat. Rain splattered against the high windows, the only other sound in the room. No one knew what to say, after they had all read the article.

            Beside Oliver, Hermione closed her eyes. This was serious, and there was no way avoiding coming public now. She needed that theory to be working soon – she knew Riddle would get new students to go to Hogwarts to get new Death Eaters. They had to do something soon… the ball wasn't in their court yet, but hanging over the net. One hit and it would be theirs… or Riddle's. 

            "Harry," said Hermione, standing, "I thinks it's best for me to get working on the transportation theory. I think I have it down to a T, but… it's not tested. We should get as many students as we can here right away, because Riddle might round new ones up to get more Death Eaters. We need students here to learn the light ways."

            Harry nodded, and pointed at Seamus, Dean, Blaise and Neville. "You guys, can you go to my office and start sending owls out to all the families who inquired about the school?"

            They nodded, gathered their papers and left, rushing out of the room. Harry then looked at Ginny, Lavender and Cho. "Gin, you know the spell that McGonagall used for the book at Hogwarts?"

            "Yeah, it's an advanced searching-spell. I know it like I know my name," said Ginny. 

            Harry nodded, and sent them off, in charge of finding a blank book to use, then spell, and then copy the name appearing on that one on a sheet and sending it to his office where the men would be sending out owls.

            "Sirius," Harry turned to him, "I need you to tell the students that they will have new roommates arriving soon. Can Remus, Arabella and Mundungus go with you? There are at least ten rooms for each of you to check. Then, can you run an inventory with Percy, Fleur and Selene, to see how many beds and sheets and such we have available?"

            They nodded, and those seven left the room, leaving only Harry, Draco, Hermione, Padma, Ron and Oliver. 

            "What do we do?" asked Padma. 

            Harry turned to Oliver and Hermione. "You two are going to perfect that spell. Ron, you and Padma are going to go around the castle, find the storage planning room, and try to find those blueprints for the Knight Bus that we had stolen with the Marauder's Map. Draco and I will send an owl to the reporters, and then do the owners in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, asking for any supplies that would be useful for our school.

            "Got that?"

            The group nodded and split, rushing around the castle in hopes of getting that ball to be in their court. After all, Hermione didn't want to think about what would happen if Voldemort got it before them.

**-**


	8. Chapter Seven: One Step Closer

Pandora's Box

_Kneazle_

_DC: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot._

AN: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, the Renaissances become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: they fight and teach, and have similar powers to: ex, Hermione = Kitty Pryde [Feb. 24, 02]

**-**

**_I find the answers aren't so clear  
Wish I could find a way to disappear  
All these thoughts they make no sense  
I find bliss in ignorance  
Nothing seems to go away  
Over and over again_** – _Linkin Park, "One Step Closer"_

**-**

Chapter Seven

            Hermione pointed her wand at the hunk of metal that she and Oliver were using as practice. They didn't want anything to happen to their bus later on. 

            "_Transporta Insta!_" Hermione shouted. A jet of blue icy light swept out from her wand and around the metal. It started to shimmer, glowing bright, until…

            "DUCK!" shouted Oliver, grabbing Hermione around the waist and shoving her down to the ground with him on top. 

            A blast of blue light engulfed the room, an explosion sounded, and when Hermione and Oliver looked up, they were covered in soot and smoke was coming out of the metal piece. 

            "Okay. What's the next spell?" asked Oliver, as Hermione flipped the book. "Because we sure as hell aren't doing that."

            To emphasize, he pointed at the metal, which on cue burst into a small flame. 

            They groaned.

**-**

            Ron grabbed a heavy carton from the top of the shelf, and dropped it at Padma's feet. "I think that's the one."

            "Well it better be," she snapped back, wiping at the back of her neck. Her cheeks were flushed and red, as the two of them had been lifting, checking and repackaging all the cartons and boxes in the large storage room, looking for blueprints. 

            Ron ignored her, opening the carton. Inside, there were the blueprints. Laughing, he pulled them out, laid them on a nearby table, and he and Padma lit their wands. 

            "Lumos," they said, and swept the wands over the parchment. They smiled when they saw the neat lines, calculations and design spells.

            "This should work," said Ron, grinning like a maniac as he quickly cleared the parchment, making his own calculations. "We need something _at least_ the size of a coach."

            Padma agreed, nodding. "Can we find that?"

            Ron shrugged. "We're wizards, Padma. We can find anything we want."

            Laughing, Padma nodded, gathered the parchments in her arms, and left the room to go back to the King Arthur room with them. Hopefully, Hermione and Oliver would be there to get this show on the road, as Parvati had always said.

**-**

            Percy, Selene and Fleur rummaged through their own set of boxes on the other end of the school, while Selene copied down the correct number of sheets they had so far. 

            "One-hundred and eighty-four bed sheets," said a weary Fleur, flopping down on a bed, bare except the mattress.

            Percy took off his glasses, wiped them clean on his shirt, and nodded. "I've got that same number in beds and pillow-cases."

            Selene nodded her brown head and ticked the numbers off. "Shall we go back to the King Arthur room and tell Harry this?"

            The other two nodded, and along the way met up with Ron and Padma. 

            "What did you guys have to do?" asked Ron. Percy answered.

            "We had to check the inventory for the students." Padma nodded, understandingly, but the group was rather quiet until they reached the King Arthur room. 

            When they entered, Ron stopped short. "Mione, what the hell happened to you?"

            A burnt, soot-covered Hermione uncrossed her arms and glared at Ron. Her hair was frizzy and the ends were burnt, smoke singes coming up off them. 

            "For your information, _we_ both look like this because we had to go through a couple of spells until we mixed them, in the right order mind you, before we got the instant transportation down," she sniffed. 

            Ron raised his hands in defense. "Whoops, sorry if I hit a nerve there, Mione. I didn't mean it."

            "I know," she said, her voice and gaze softening. "Anyway, how did the search go for the blueprints?"

            "Excellent," piped up Padma, "we've got them all."

            Harry nodded, smiling at the group. He opened his mouth to say something more, but Sirius, Arabella, Mundungus, Remus, Dean, Seamus and Blaise all walked in, followed shortly thereafter by Ginny, Lavender and Cho. 

            They reported back to him, saying what they found. Ginny slammed down a very large book, with the Bingingham Castle flag on its cover. 

            "It took us a while to find the book, and then we had to do the spell three times until it worked. But, after that, the names started appearing, and we rushed upstairs to your office to meet with the boys."

            "And?" asked Draco, looking up from the letter to the Daily Prophet and Evening Prophet he was writing. 

            "_And_," she continued, "they then went ahead and magically copied the letters over and over, just changing the names. They were to be sent off about twenty minutes ago – but it is pretty hard to find all the owls for it."

            Dean jumped in, "we have about six letters for each owl. We need some more, Harry."

            He nodded, and added something magically on to a piece of paper he had in front of him, only he just flicked his wrist, allowing the pen to move on its own. 

            "Sirius?" asked Harry, looking up.

            "Everything is fine there, and the students look forward to more people coming. They feel a bit too close for comfort with the small amount of students we have now," he said. Remus agreed, "There's only one problem."

            Harry and Draco both looked up, surprised. "Problem? We're going to have a problem?"

            Remus nodded glumly. "If we even get more than forty students, we'll run out of room. The dorms can only hold about three people in each room, and we only have eight extra rooms."

            "We need to build out," sighed Harry, sitting. 

            "We don't have room," argued Draco. "Harry, we can't build out if we still want the hundred acres we have. You said you wanted it for defense."

            "Then we build up or down?" asked Hermione, jumping into the conversation. 

            "We could probably build up at the moment if we chose to," said Ron, "but it would have to be magically."

            Harry thought about it for a bit. "I guess it'll have to do – but only after we get this instant transportation thing working. Does it?" he asked the last part to Hermione and Oliver, who were still covered in dirt.

            Oliver cleared his throat. "It works. Just took us a bit of time to find the correct combination of spells."

            Harry raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Right. Ron, can you place the blueprints here?"

            Ron and Padma laid the blueprints out before them, on the table, and everyone took a seat. Ron stood, and using his extra magically abilities, he lifted a pen to use as a pointer. 

            "Okay. We need at least these parts," he said, the pen moving around pointing at them. "And magically… it should take about two days to make, meld and mold together, and Hermione and Oliver would have to place then the spells on it once it's done."

            "Can't we just steal a muggle one?" moaned Cho, placing her head in her hands, rubbing her temple. Blaise patted her on the back, apologetically. 

            Harry shook his head. "No. Sorry, Cho. This is all we've got right now, so let's go on it. Let's go through this so we all know. Herm, Oliver? What are the spells?"

            "_Transporta Insta_," said Hermione, "and it combines with the 'untraceable' charm. There really isn't a way to not say the charm unless you want everything in this room to not be traced."

            There were a few chuckles, but then they calmed down, and Harry motioned for the next group to go. 

            Ginny stood, "the book works like a breeze. We're all go for it, and there's at least twenty pages filled already – and only the first seven are for ones we should get here. The rest are ones just born and are getting close to the age of eleven."

            Draco looked impressed, "wow. Go Ginny!"

            She beamed at him, and then sat down. Fred and George scowled, but said nothing. After all, what Ginny chose to do was her business, but if he hurt her… 

            Selene stood, "we've got about one-hundred and eighty-four bed sheets, pillows, frames and mattresses. We're well stocked there."

            "What's the letter to the parents say, Seamus?" asked Harry, as soon as Selene sat. Seamus ruffled some papers, stood and read:

            _Dear parents and/or Guardians,_

_            We are pleased to inform you that your son/daughter has been accepted into the Institute of Magical Studies, commonly known as Institute of Magic. _

_            Our school is run by none other than Harry Potter, who is headmaster, and the vice headmasters are Draco Malfoy, Oliver Wood and Sirius Black. _

_            Due to the past states of the Renaissance, there wasn't much time to allow a school to be built, but it has been done. We wish for your son/daughter to join us here, at IoM, and hopefully enjoy their studies of light magic. _

_            Courses include: _**Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arithmacy, Divination, Astronomy, Flying lesson, Muggle Studies, Charms, History of Magic **_and even other courses that were not offered back at Hogwarts: _**Combat (Hand-to-Hand and Karate/Judo, etc.), Advanced Transfiguration, Advanced DADA, Advanced Potions, Modern and Extreme Past History, **_and_** Magic in Art**.__

_            We hope that your son/daughter decide to come to IoM. We await your owl no later than May 30th. Until the current situations become better, the school year will be slightly off._

_            Regards,_

            "I didn't know whose name to put," admitted Seamus. "Whose shall I put, since we haven't sent them out yet?"

            "Put mine," said Harry, looking down to his paper. "All right. I have a supply list that I'm sending out to Madam Malkin's, Olivanders, the Apothecary, Honeydukes, The Three Broomsticks, and Flourish and Blotts."

            "I have a letter to the Prophet," added Draco. He began to read it. 

            _Dear Prophet,_

_            We [as in the Renaissance] have read your letter concerning our friends and us. At first we were quite startled and furious about our presence being known, but after we conversed, we decided that perhaps it was for the best. _

_            We ask that you refrain from printing anything else about us unless otherwise stated by one of our members at IoM (Institute of Magic, so you _were_ correct as to yes, there is a new magical school): Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Oliver Wood, Sirius Black, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Remus Lupin, Cho Chang, Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas, Padma Patil, Arabella Figg, Fleur Delacour, Blaise Zabini, Selene Sinistra, Seamus Finnigan, Mundungus Fletcher, Neville Longbottom, Percy Weasley, Fred Weasley and George Weasley._

            _Due to the newspaper article, we wish to chat with one of your reporters that you feel you can trust and can… leave here in case there are any complications of our secret location. This would be greatly appreciated. _

_            Send an owl back once you have time. Regards,_

_            Harry Potter (Headmaster) and Draco Malfoy (Deputy Headmaster)_

            "Well, that's not too bad," laughed Hermione. "Very… uh… 'Conversely', Draco."

            He growled at her, but hid a grin when he looked down. Then, he looked up with a funny look on his face. "Uh… what about Selene, Percy and Fleur? They're new to our group. Shouldn't they teach here too?"

            Harry's head swam with ideas. "Fleur, could you teach languages? Like French and such?"

            She nodded, grinning. "_Oui._"

            "And Percy… how about politics? Selene… hmm… food and nutrition using magic?" Harry looked sheepish at the last part, but both agreed full-heartedly. He turned to Seamus; "you might want to change the letters now."

            Seamus nodded, changing the, _Courses include: _**Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arithmacy, Divination, Astronomy, Flying lesson, Muggle Studies, Charms, History of Magic **_and even other courses that were not offered back at Hogwarts: _**Combat (Hand-to-Hand and Karate/Judo, etc.), Advanced Transfiguration, Advanced DADA, Advanced Potions, Modern and Extreme Past History, Magical Politics, Languages, Food and Nutrition, **_and_** Magic in Art**.

            "You know, we're soon going to need a lot more teachers to keep up with the students," said Neville. 

            Harry sighed. "All in good time, Neville. All in good time."

            "So what do we do now?" asked Lavender in a small voice. Everyone's head turned to her and back at Harry, who suddenly looked older and much more fatigued. 

            "We gathered the students, we leave a few people here, and…"

            "And?" asked Hermione softly, already knowing the answer.

            "And then… we go to Hogwarts," he finished. The room was deadly silent.

**-**

            Hermione was standing outside, at was she now called the 'Hermione Garden'. It was the same place that Oliver said he fancied her, the same place where they would share their secrets. She stood, this time, not sitting and looked up. 

            Stars littered the sky, sparkling brightly in their place in the sky, their home. 

            She continued looking up at them, her magically enhanced eyesight allowing her to see something most normal magical and non-magical folk could see: the changing colors of the stars, from yellow, white and blue edges. 

            She hardly noticed Oliver behind her until he placed his hands on her shoulders. She shivered at his touch. 

            "Cold?" he asked, his mouth near her ear. The feel of his breath against her bare neck made her shiver more. 

            "No, of course not. It's April," she answered, inhaling the musky scent of Oliver, and the smell of a garden after a rain shower. 

            Oliver smiled, and stood close behind her, also looking up at the stars. "They look so peaceful," he said after a few minutes of silence.

            Hermione nodded, her back brushing against Oliver's chest. "I know. They have no idea what's to happen when we leave in a few days."

            "Is that when we go?" he asked. 

            "That's what Harry told Ron and me," she replied. Oliver ran his hands up and down her arms. She smiled forward, not looking at him. "I'm going to be scared."

            "Don't be."

            "I can't help it," she said. 

            "Like I said, don't worry about it. I can help you not think about it," he grinned the last statement. Hermione turned, and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. 

            "You're a dirty boy!" she said. 

            "Actually, I was thinking of seeing a muggle film, or something, but apparently you were thinking of something else," his eye twinkled in the dark. 

            Hermione's mouth opened and shut, making her look like a fish without air. Oliver chuckled lightly, cupped her chin with his hand and lowered his face to hers, stopping her with a kiss.

            Hermione felt and allowed herself to melt against Oliver, allowing him to envelope her into a tight embrace; she left herself behind to be thrown into a whirlwind of love.

            The two didn't part after they finished the kiss; no, instead, she clung to him like an anchor, never wanting to let him go. 

            "Hermione," he breathed her name. 

            She looked up, and watched with startled eyes as Oliver went down on one knee. He looked scared, nervous, but licked his lips, and looked right into her cinnamon eyes. 

            "Hermione, I know that this might be too soon," he started, "but… I love you. I really do, and I want to be with you no matter what happens. I don't have a ring… not yet, but…"

            He slipped a plastic ring from a vending machine onto Hermione's right ring finger. "Say you'll marry me one day. I'm making a promise to be with you, and I want you to feel the same."

            Hermione's eyes brimmed with tears. _What shall I say?_ She thought, and she heard Harry and Ginny scream back, _SAY YES YOU IDIOT!! SAY YES!!_, thought they weren't really in her head. At least, she thought so.

            "Oliver," she said, bringing him up to eye level. She breathed his name out onto the air, again and again. "Forever, yes. For eternity, yes."

            Oliver grinned at her, and pulled Hermione into a kiss that was filled with the love he felt for her, one that could never be expressed in words. 

            They part, kissed quickly again, and once again, but they stood contently in the other's arms, staring up at the twinkling of stars above them, basking in the glow of the moon. 

**-**

            Within the day Oliver proposed, Harry had cornered Hermione in her transfiguration classroom and told her that she should dismiss the class because she and Oliver were needed to perform the spell.

            Once she arrived outside, in the airstrip courtyard, she nearly dropped her book bag. Her glasses slipped to the end of her nose, her hair pulled back in her pony coming undone. 

            Oliver also looked frazzled as he saw the coach that the Knight Bus was based on. The large bus sat, painted new, in the middle of the courtyard. 

            "This is the coach?" asked Hermione, incredulously. Harry nodded.

            "Yeah. I know it looks like shit, but once the spells are on it," he began, waving his hand about. Hermione nodded, and rolled up the sleeves of her robes.

            "All right," she said. Oliver moved to stand beside her. They both stared at the bus for a few seconds, then…

            "_Transporta Insta_!" Hermione shouted. 

            "_Untraceable Transporta!_" shouted Oliver at the same time. Hermione's hot pink spell combined with Oliver's midnight blue. Swirling together, they came together and made somehow violet, which engulfed the coach. 

            There was a burst of light and silence. The coach glowed and hummed with magic for a few seconds before the glow died down, but the hum didn't. Not in such as magical place as Bingingham Castle. 

            "Is that it?" asked Ron, who was leaning out of a window a few stories up, shouting down at them. 

            Harry shouted 'yes', back, and turned to the car. "Well." He grinned at Oliver and Hermione. "I think we can start getting ready to head to Hogwarts."

            And with that, he walked away. 

**-**

            The morning was quiet, with dew lying heavily on the ground outside the castle. The students were still asleep, in their dorms, impatiently awaiting their new roommates that were due to arrive later in the morning. 

            But all was not quiet in the King Arthur room, high in the West Wing of the school. The Renaissance, Old Crowd and the Salvation were all arguing as to who would be going to Hogwarts and who'd be staying. 

            "The Renaissance should go! They have extra powers that we don't!" snapped Mundungus. 

            "But there's only ten of them – Voldemort has at least _three hundred_ Death Eaters! They can't take them out by themselves!" shouted Fred. 

            It was the Old Crowd and the Salvation who were arguing about the Renaissance, they themselves were quiet and watching. 

            _Hey_, the voice whispered across Hermione's mind like a shiver. 

            Hermione looked around, noticed that no one was speaking directly to her; it was Harry's voice. 

            _Yes?_ She replied.

            _We **all** leave tonight, no matter what. No matter who says is coming, okay? _He said. Hermione saw Draco nod. Harry was speaking to everyone mentally. 

            _Harry… what about the others? They'll know where we're going and they'll come to stop us no matter what._ Ginny's voice swept also across Hermione's mind. _Good point,_ she thought.

            _Not if they don't have any more brooms. And the coach will be gone all day, picking up new students. We're clear if we leave at midnight._

            _Midnight, _repeated Hermione, _They – our friends – will murder us once they find out, Harry._

_            Oh well_, he snickered back. _This is our battle, not theirs._

            She sighed, and Oliver glanced over suspiciously at her. He knew that she was talking to someone, mentally, and that they were going to leave sometime, whether or not the Old Crowd or Salvation wanted them to.

            _By the way, Hermione_ came Ginny's voice. _Did you say 'yes' to Oliver?_

            _WHAT??_ Hermione screeched in her mind, bolting forward in her chair. Oliver was now really worried, what was going on with her?

            _That's right!_ Came Harry's voice. _Did you say yes? When is the ceremony? Who's the best man too?_

            _What the hell!! You two **were** in my mind then!! _Hermione fumed, sending her anger out at them in waves. Both Ginny and Harry, on their wheel chairs, slid backwards a few paces, before the slid forward again. 

            _Gee, no reason to get all shifty with us,_ said Ginny.

            _Go to Hell. That was private, and you two abused your powers_, she thought. Finally, she had enough. 

            "See you later," she said, and sank into the floor, through the bricks and dashing between walls and rooms to get to hers. 

            Once she was in her room, she realized that _would_ find her there, and that she needed to go somewhere else. Somewhere she hadn't been yet. Snapping her fingers, she got up and went to the kitchens. She hadn't talked to any of the house elves and she was in a craving for lemon meringue pie lately. Getting angry did that to her. 

            She got there, and immediately House elves swarmed at her feet. 

            "Does Miss want something?"

            "What can we's get Miss?"

            Hermione giggled, and said, "Well, I'd like some lemon meringue pie, please."

            They bustled about, got her a plate of it, and sat her down at an empty table. She ate in blissful silence, listening to the house elves work around her. Sure, she was a bit upset that they wanted to work without pay, but still. Food was food, and if they wanted to serve it to her, she wouldn't stop them.

            She also blocked her mind so no one would find her. Finally, she thought about their leaving tonight. 

            "Do you have any paper?" she asked one, one who looked familiar. Then it hit her: Dobby!

            "Yes, Miss, we's do. Do you's want some?" asked Dobby, grinning. 

            "Please!" she smiled, and within seconds was dipping her quill into a ink vase and was writing on the parchment. 

            She then said, after she sealed it, "Dobby."

            Dobby appeared, and asked, "Yes Miss?"

            "Can you give this to Mr. Oliver Wood at breakfast tomorrow morning?" she asked politely. "Or leave it next to his pillow so when he wakes up he receives it?"

            Dobby took the letter and nodded, bowing low. "As Miss wishes."

            Hermione then left him a sickle, and left. She had to get ready for later tonight, and she wasn't about to let Voldemort win either. 

**-**

            Midnight was cool, with owls hooting in the distance and other night creatures scurrying around. Hermione avoided Harry and Ginny, refusing to talk to them or look at them. She instead got on her broom next to Lavender and Padma, ready to kick off. 

            "We continue riding all night," instructed Harry, "no stops. Ready? Let's go!"

            The ten kicked off, their powers growing tenfold since they had been thawed out back in January. That had been nearly five months ago, and here they were, ready to kick Voldemort's ass to Hell.

            And this time, they would do everything to make sure that he doesn't come back.

**-**

            The dawn swept into the room, touching first the nightstand, and then the man lying in the bed, his arm open, looking as if he had it wrapped around someone he loved. The fingers flexed, and then patted the mattress, wondering where his lover was. 

            The man strained his ears, was she in the shower? Not hearing that on, he opened one eye, shut it again tightly when light was bright and turned over. Hermione was nowhere in the room. 

            Oliver looked around, confused, had she left him? No, Hermione wouldn't do that.

            He then caught sight of the envelope, and the letter. Opening it with a letter opener, he quickly read it, read it again, and then once more. 

            _Dearest Oliver,_

_            I know that you are probably wondering where I am right now. Probably near or at Hogwarts now. Harry told us all that we – the Renaissance – would be leaving at midnight. Yesterday. Or today, whichever you prefer to look at it. _

_            I hadn't wished to leave, not without telling you once more that I love you with all my heart and soul, and that I would rather spend eternity with you with Voldemort ruling than without you in a peaceful world._

_            My dearest Oliver, promise me that you and the others won't do anything rash. You mustn't; don't you dare come after us at all. Harry cannot let any more factors get into his shitty plan as it is. Yes, it's shit. I'd hate to say, write or think it, Oliver. We probably aren't coming out of it alive. The plan is too dangerous. _

_            I love you. Once again. Forever. I will always say it. Until my dying breath leaves my body, I am yours, and even beyond that. I love you, Oliver Wood, and I would wish to become Mrs. Oliver Wood one day. _

_            As Humphrey Bogart said in **Casablanca**, "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday… someday we'll be together again" (did you know that's my favorite movie?). It holds true, Oliver. If not in this world, than in another, I will be with you. _

_            Love you always,_

_            Hermione Granger_

            Oliver let his fist crumple the paper, holding it tightly. He took deep breaths, gulps of air. _Hermione is with the others. They're after Voldemort. She said they might not – probably won't – make it back alive. I love her. I love her. Oh God…_

_            I…_

_            Love…_

_            Her…_

Oliver's thoughts ended. His eyes brimmed over with tears, and they leaked silently over onto his cheeks, hitting the floor. Wearing only his pants, he raced out of the room to tell the others. They had to get to Hogwarts. He had to make sure she'd come back to him alive. 

            He needed her. 

            Because he loved her.

**-**

            Hermione bit her cheek, wondering if Oliver had gotten the letter yet. Had he read it? What did he think? Was he coming – Hermione shook her head, ending that thought. If he did, she couldn't stop him. He could die with her, and she would never have that. 

            Never. 

            Finally, Hogwarts castle loomed ahead, looking dark and dangerous, just as Tom had wanted it. She shivered on her broomstick. 

            _But we have the trump card_, she thought, _he doesn't know of our new powers._

            However, a small voice in the back of her head, neither Harry nor Ginny's, she was certain, asked, _but do you know if he has any new powers?_

            She shivered again, harder this time. The castle was close. She could see the Herbology greenhouses, soon each glass roof block… now they were landing. 

            _Welcome,_ a voice hissed across their minds. _Welcome to my home, Renaissance. Get used to it – because you're not leaving._

            Hermione shuddered. _It's too late,_ she thought, _to go back. Goodbye, Oliver._

            The time was now, she realized, to stand up for what she believed in, to fight what she hated. She just didn't know what the price to pay was. 

**-**

**MistWalker:** you're right to worry about Harry… I've got some nice plans for him. Most people won't like the ending though… **sigh** oh well.

**Brendan:** ha, ha, no problem. I actually completely forgot about the Dursley's… but ^_^ I thought that was funny.

**Lady Knight of Kennan:** I'm glad you like the story! It's really fun to write!

**Moony:** what makes you so sure that _it isn't_ a S/G story? I've got my cauldron full of plot twists!

**TO EVERYONE ELSE: **yeah, hi! Um… I've been getting a few, "e-mail me when it's updated", etc. But, sadly, I really don't have time for that, to sort through the reviews and such… so, if it's not an inconvenience, _email me_, and I can reply to you much faster, and I can assure that you'll get the update. Thanks – Kneazle

**_PS:_** **stands up and applauds the USA** Great job, **US**. You guys played **_great_** in the Winter Olympics. **_Hands down_** to a **_great job_**, and **CONGRATULATIONS** to my **_home_** country, **CANADA**, on **_winning_** the **_gold_**. You guys **_deserved it_** after all these years. 


	9. Chapter Eight: Cold

Pandora's Box

_Kneazle_

_DC: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot._

_AN: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, the Renaissances become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: they fight and teach, and have similar powers to: ex, Hermione = Kitty Pryde. The song during chapter eight is by Godsmack, "Awake"._

[Feb. 26, 02]

**-**__

**_We kiss  
the stars  
we writhe  
we are…_**

**_Your name  
Desire  
Your flesh  
we are…_**

**_Cold  so cold  
we are so  
cold, so cold,  
We're so cold… _**

**_Cold  so cold,  
We are so  
cold, so cold  
We're so cold …_**

**_Your mouth  
these words  
Silence  
it turns  
Humming  
we laugh  
My head  
falls back…_**

**_Cold so cold  
we are so,  
Cold, so cold  
We're so cold_**

**_– _**_Static-X, "Cold", from the_

_Queen of the Damned Soundtrack_

**-**

Chapter Eight

            The ten of them, the Renaissance, strode forward and ahead, not looking back as they left their brooms lying on the grass. They, somehow strangely enough, were all wearing similar clothing.

            Hermione and the other women in the group wore their hair back, black tanks and flexible pants or in Lavender's case, miniskirt. They also wore combat boots – you'd never know when they'd come in handy.

            The men, like Harry wore black wife beaters, baggy pants to hide their wands and other items in, and some sort of coat overtop, except for Draco. He wore the black clothing, of course, but he wore a trench coat and docs instead of boots like the others. The black contrasted deeply with his silver hair. 

            The doors to Hogwarts swung open, without anyone standing there. The group walked in, looking in every direction for unwanted obstacles. 

            "Well, well," said a voice. There, emerging out of the darkness was a Death Eater wearing no mask. It seemed as if they didn't need it here. "If it isn't Harry Potter. And once again, he's back and ready to destroy the Dark Lord."

            Draco hissed dangerously beside Hermione. She stared ahead with her eyes cold, her body pose saying she had no time to deal with the likes of him. 

            "Avery," snarled Harry, his emerald eyes flashing perilously behind his glasses. Avery stepped closer still, his wand out, and his eyes darting from one member of the group to another. 

            "No funny business Potter," he said quietly. "I'm going to take you to my Lord where he'll deal with you accordingly in front of his school."

            "That puts a damper on our plan, now, doesn't it?" said Lavender lightly. 

            Harry nodded. "Well? What are you waiting for? Take us."

            Avery faltered a bit at this, but answered curtly, "this way," only the group walked briskly past him, into the Great Hall where they had used to eat all the time. Avery looked frazzled, but followed with his wand in Neville's back. 

            The group calmly walked in, and Voldemort and Riddle looked up from the high table and thrones they sat on. 

            Hermione's eyes swept the table; she spotted McGonagall, Snape, Sinistra, Flitwick and even Trelawney. They all looked tired and wearisome, as if their magic was being drained out of them. 

            _Harry,_ said Hermione in her mind. His reply was instantaneous. 

            _What, Mione?_

_            Um… is it just more or do the teachers look tired and drained of their magic?_ She asked, regarding their faces carefully. At this, Harry's eyes also swept the table, as they had been trained on Riddle since the moment he entered. 

            _You're right. We'll deal with that later, okay?_ He then ended the thought transmission, as the group lined up again, facing the Dark Lord and Riddle, their backs to the students. 

            "Potter," hissed Voldemort. "Come to fight me once and for all? Ready to die?"

            "Why don't you tell your lackey to shut up, Riddle? Come and fight me yourself," he snapped loudly. The crowd twittered. 

            Riddle's expression didn't change much. He tilted his head to his side, and with a curious look, he asked, "how long have you known, Potter?" 

            Harry scoffed. "Excuse me, but I fought you in my second year. I think that your face –past, present or future faces in that matter – are pretty hard to erase from my memory."

            "Nice to know I'm remembered," he retorted. His scarlet eyes bore into Harry's emerald. "And I see that your Renaissance have joined you. You're not as strong as you used to be, Potter."

            "Are you so sure?" he asked back. 

            "Are you?" countered Riddle, raising a black eyebrow. They continued to stare at each other, in silence. The others stood, watching them and the other Death Eaters in the room to see if someone was going to attack. Finally, Riddle lowered his gaze and snapped his fingers. 

            "Yes, milord?" asked a skinny man in robes. He bent his head and kissed Riddle's hand as he asked this. 

            Riddle looked up lazily, and said with an airy tone, "kill them."

            Instants later, Death Eaters swarmed in to the Great Hall, surrounding the ten. They looked at the large group in derision. They stepped out of their line, in a circle, all backs facing one another. 

            The students screamed and ran away, watching the Renaissance duck spells and punch a few of the Death Eaters. 

            Ron sparred off against five Death Eaters at the same time. Two charged at him, while two others shot spells. The last one moved in between the two. He grinned, and closed his eyes for a split second. During this time, it was like time slowed for him; he reached down into his soul and grasped his superpower, and pulled it up over himself mentally. Instantly, he felt the effects. He was now moving too fast for the others, and everything seemed to be going in slow motion for him. 

            He ducked the two fists coming at him, grabbing one by the neck and twisting it with his hand. The Death Eater was dead milliseconds after he charged at Ron. The other seemed to sense something was going on, and tried to twist his body away mid-leap. Ron calculated that move, like one would in chess, and blocked him, punching him in the stomach. The man doubled over, but within the next second Ron had slammed him to the ground and twisted his body in the opposite direction. The body fell crumpled to the floor in an inhuman position. 

            The two spells coming at him were dodged easily by tilting his head to the left slightly and then to the right a few inches more, one flash after the other. They didn't even _graze_ him. 

            After, he ran around behind the two spell casters, knocked them together by the head and watched them drop to the floor unconscious. He slowed his speed and looked evenly at the last one. 

            He looked frightened, horrified. Ron smirked, his head slightly bent forward, his hair falling over his forehead and obscuring his blue eyes slightly. The Death Eater he was facing nearly wet his pants, bubbling like a baby. 

            Ron didn't waste any time stepping forward and snapping the man's wand in two – then he used his own to perform _Avada Kedavra_. This happened within seconds Riddle had declared, "kill them."

            Lavender used her wand most of the time, aiming perfect curses and hexes at people, with Ginny's help. Together, Ginny would mentally spring the wands out of the Death Eater's hands, snap them mentally, and then together they would kill them one by one, or zap two of them at the same time with a hex. 

            Blaise, usually the quiet intellect of their group, had somehow managed to get in tune with his powers. He himself was fairly agile, but strong. Using his muscles, he could block an attack while punching someone's daylights out with the other hand. Instead, he was telekinetically charging particle bits, like rocks and wand wood; with a hot pink glow and then sending them forcefully out towards the Death Eaters. When they came in contact with the telekinetic charged particles, it took about three seconds before the particles burned hot, boiling and blistering the skin and then finally a few seconds after that, blowing up. 

            Therefore, around Blaise, there was a lot of blood and other unidentifiable human body parts. He, himself, was getting pretty grossed out about it, but realized his plan and kept going at it, as not that many Death Eaters were around him. 

            Draco was flying around, above the Death Eaters heads, sending down spells himself or knocking them down by doing flying kicks at them. 

            He was finishing up when a Death Eater knocked his foot away from his face, forcefully. Draco slammed into the ground and looked up, angry. 

            "Who the fuck do you think you are?" he snarled, his spit flying as he said this. The man above him removed his Death Eater mask slowly, carefully. Draco found himself fascinated. After all, who was this man that dared to defy him?

            Once they mask was removed, Draco swallowed a gasp and the vomit that threatened to rise. Cool steal eyes, the ones he inherited, stared back down at him. 

            "Father," said Draco coolly. 

            "Son," replied Lucius in the same tone Draco used. Nearly splitting images of each other, Draco stood. He was inches from his father. They were the same height, had the same hairstyle, the same eyes and the same bone structure in the face. Lucius was tall and slender, wispy even, while Draco was broader and more muscled. 

            Around them, the battle continued, with the Death Eaters on the losing side. 

            "Quite a power you have there," commented Lucius in his usual drawl. "Are you still sure you're on the right side?"

            Draco blinked. "Of course I know, and thank you very much for murdering Mother," he spat. "Didn't know you loved her _that_ much."

            Lucius winced; something no one would catch because it was so small except Draco did. Growing up with the man helped him learn his weaknesses.

            The battle around them seemed to cease to exist. There was a battle going on between the Father and Son, the leader and traitor. 

            Which would win?

**-**

Seamus caught up with Ginny after she and Lavender split, and stood beside her as she flung pieces of the Great Hall floor. The teachers were still rooted in their places at the high table, staring open mouth at the Renaissance. 

            "Are you okay?" he asked, pocketing his wand for a minute. She nodded, brushing some fiery red hair out of her face. 

            "Why shouldn't I be?" she asked, huffing slightly as she dodged a spell. Seamus copied her, and shrugged. 

            "I thought that maybe you'd like some help?" he tried. Ginny stopped, stood and looked around. Ron was having the time of his life, zooming around and attacking that way; Blaise looked uncomfortable with his powers but did what he was suppose to; Draco was off in a staring contest or a talk with his father, something heated. 

            Shrugging, Ginny grinned up at him, "what the hell? Let's go kick some Death Eater ass."

            Seamus grinned back, and together they turned to fight the new group that had arrived.

            Neville seemed to be really getting the hang of his powers, but fighting wasn't really his thing. He managed to dodge a lot of the spells, but a few _cruico_'s hit him. 

A group of twelve Death Eaters circled around him, each moving in slowly, as they had seen what powers the others had. 

            "Are you going to do something to us too?" one had enough gut to ask. Neville smiled slightly. 

            "Only if you ask nicely," he said, squaring his shoulders. He took a deep breath, placed his hands down at his sides, opened his palms and looked up. His eyes turned white, and there was s rumbling sound beneath the Death Eaters and Neville. 

            The ground cackled, and the floor broke. Roots from trees, vines and branches shot forward out of the ground, sprouting then and there, and winding themselves around people. The roots wove themselves around the ankles of the Death Eaters, some around the necks, and pulled them up, higher and higher as the roots and vines continued shooting up. 

            Neville's eyes calmed down, returning back to his normal brown. He looked around, and then up at the Death Eaters hundreds of feet above him, struggling to unclasp the vines that were holding tight around their ankles. A few pointed their wands at the roots, but they clattered to the ground as Neville collected then, then snapped them. More vines appeared wrapping around the wrists, and finally the neck of others, strangling them. 

            Neville turned his head away and walked calmly towards the next group of Death Eaters. 

**-**

            Oliver stood at the head of the King Arthur table (or where Harry usually sat since it's round), and looked into the eyes of every member left: Sirius, Remus, Arabella, Mundungus, Selene, Padma, Cho, Fred, George, Percy and Fleur.

            "Are we just going to stand here and let the people we care about _die_?" he shouted, slamming his fist down on the table. 

            "We can't go, Oliver," said Sirius sorrowfully, "Harry broke all the other brooms and placed a non-repair charm on them. We can't get to Hogwarts, and even if we had brooms, they'd be…" he choked, "dead by the time we get there."

            "Do you not care at all for your Godson?" Oliver hissed, leaning forward, his face dark. "For fuck's sake, Sirius, we _have_ to go! If they die, then what? Huh? The fate of the world then rests in _our_ hands. Why shouldn't we be there to help them?"

            Padma looked down at her bitten fingernails. "Oliver," she said slowly, "we can't go. No matter what, you read to us what Hermione wrote in her letter"—at this, Oliver clutched the crumpled letter tighter in his fist—"that we shouldn't come or we'll ruin Harry's plan."

            "Harry's plan is shit," replied Fred. "I'm with Oliver. I don't want anything to happen to those we love. Especially since Ginny and Ron are out there, and I only started to really get to know them again after four years of them _dead_ to my family." He stood. 

            George stood too. "I'm with Fred and Oliver. I say we go after them. If Harry's plan is shit, then what's stopping us from going to making it better? Ten galleons say that's what we'll do."

            "And ten galleons says that we'll _ruin_ it _more_," roared Mundungus, standing up and letting his chair fly backwards. Padma and Cho watched in horror. 

            Oliver ground his teeth together. "Mundungus, Sirius, I appreciate the comments, but you cannot change my mind. The woman I love is out there, fighting to protect me, you, her and every else here in the world. And you refuse to go?

            "I will go to save _her_, to protect_ her_, to do whatever it takes to be _near her_," he said, his voice dangerously low and soft. "I love her and if that means going and dying, that's fine by me as long as she knows that I just want to be wherever she is, to see her face one last time, if the case may be."

            Slowly, Padma and Cho rose. "We'll come," they said together, sharing a look. A look of understanding passed between Oliver and the two, and he nodded quickly. 

            "We leave right away, on the new bus that Hermione and I spelled," he said, his voice choking on emotion. He then looked over the others sitting. "We'll need a few to stay, so I take it that you."

            Sirius and Mundungus nodded in their chairs, sitting stiffly. Sirius held Oliver gaze, knowing exactly what he was thinking. _If we don't come back, don't come after us. Protect the future generations and teach them all you know._

            Remus and Arabella stood. Sirius jumped in surprise at Arabella's sudden movement beside him, and then looked up in shock. "You're going?" he asked, horrified at the thought. 

            Arabella nodded, bending and stroking the back of her hand against Sirius' check. "I must, love. I feel like it's my duty to protect Harry as I could never have done for Lily and James," she said, her voice sorrowful and tearful. "I will go with them."

            Sirius looked as if he wanted to oppose, but in the end he sighed, and slumped dejectedly in his seat. Nodding, he closed his eyes. "Be careful," he finally said, holding her hand tightly. He raised it to his lips, kissed it gently and then let it drop. They held their gazes for a ten-count, before she turned and strode out of the room after the Weasley twins. 

            Percy, Mundungus, Fleur and Selene looked at him. He swallowed, trying to ignore the sense of foreboding he felt in the pit of his stomach. Why was it that he felt as if he'd never see Arabella, his love, again?

            He stood, walked over to the large window, and watched the night slowly ease its way in over the countryside, where down below the others jumped on the bus and it disappeared. 

            Placing a hand on the windowpane, he looked up, and let an unnoticed tear slide down his cheek. The stars twinkled merrily above, coming out of hiding. 

            _God, _thought Sirius, _protect Harry. Protect them all and bring them home safely._

**-**

_Wait another minute   
can't you see what this pain has fucking done to me?_

            Hermione turned; whipping out her elbow as she did so, bringing it down on the unsuspected Death Eater that had crawled up beside her. Her crazy powers weren't helping much, as when her nerves ran high she slipped through everyone and couldn't attack. 

            Now, she relied on the pocket Swiss Army knife she had brought, taking swipes expertly at people. Many Death Eaters dodged her attacks, but with her new powers she had already disarmed them and had killed three. 

            One tall one leapt at her, grabbing her left hand – the one without the blade. 

            _Stupid move_, she thought, bringing the knife out as she stabbed the man with it. His eyes filled up with horror, before he backed away, slumped to the ground and withered a bit. Another Death Eater grabbed her from behind, pointing the knife away from him and out towards the rest of the Death Eaters. She growled under her breath, hoping that she could do _something_ to slip out of his grasp without hurting herself. 

_I'm alive and still kicking   
what you see I can't see and maybe   
you'll think before you speak_

            Hermione allowed her molecules to loosen; seconds later she was free, and the sensation was wonderful – she was floating in a sea of nothingness, enjoying the serenity of everything around her. Then, it all crashed back down on her, the battle and what she stood for. No wonder they were trying to kill her. 

            The Death Eater who had grabbed her from behind was startled, and looked down at his hands in horror. Had he done something?

            "Missing something?" she asked delicately, putting on a feign of innocence. 

            "W-What?" the Death Eater stammered, looking up only to see the flash of green light meet his eyes. 

            Hermione looked down at her right hand, where her wand was grasped tightly. Her knuckles were turning white and she could feel the crescent marks in her palm where her nails were cutting.

            "Maybe I am getting used to this killing thing," she murmured, her brain somewhere else. Once she realized what she said, she felt sick. How could Oliver love a murderer like herself? Good God, she was a _disgrace_, a _hypocrite_ to everything she once said and stood for.

            So what if she was here to save the world? So what if Voldemort ruled? Okay, yeah, it wasn't the best of things to happen, but still, how could Oliver love her? A cold-blooded murderer?

_I'm alive for you   
I'm awake because of you   
I'm alive I told you   
I'm awake swallowing you_

            _Then again_, she thought, as she dodged a fist, _he's not exactly innocent either. You have no idea what he'd been doing the past four years while you were in status._

            With this in though, she referred back to what Harry had kept saying: We kill because we need to. We kill to protect those who cannot fight. And like hell if she couldn't… Hermione was kicking arse out there.

            She felt the sting of a fist connect finally with her jaw. At this, she tripped and sank through the floor slightly, half-in and half-out the ground. 

            A Death Eater grabbed her and preformed a _petrificus totalus_ on her. Her eyes were wide as she felt her molecules straining to unwind and let loose.

            _NO!!_ She thought, _how could this happen? It can't end like this!!_

            She struggled mentally to get out of the binds, but she couldn't. Not even her supersensitive eyesight, or her telekinesis powers or the mutation could get her out of this spell. 

            She felt herself being lifted, and then she was placed in front of Riddle's throne. The polyjuice potion on the "Voldemort" was disappearing; the features had begun to show through slowly. It would be only a matter of time. 

            "POTTER!" Riddle bellowed. Harry stopped fighting and looked up.

_Take another second   
Turn your back on me   
And make believe your always happy   
It's safe to say   
You're never alive a big part of you has died   
And by the way   
I hope your satisfied_

            Harry looked around at Riddle, staring unwavering in his eyes and then at Hermione who lay in a heap at his feet. His anger sparked, and he jumped in the air, knocking the Death Eaters around him down with a blast of wind. He fell to his knees in front of Riddle, a hand on Hermione. 

            "Can you get up?" he asked her, but his eyes were on Riddle.

            "No," she muttered, through closed teeth. "It's '_petrificus totalus_'."

            Harry ground his teeth together and shouted loudly, his voice echoing through the hall, "CEASE FIGHTING!"

            All around, the other Renaissance fighters stopped. They looked up, but struggled the second the Death Eaters moved in on them. They resisted, but saw that Harry was doing nothing. Draco and Lucius were still staring evilly at each other when Draco walked away to stand next to Harry and behind Hermione. 

            Lucius snarled after him, muttering as he came closer to his Lord, "so he chose. He chose the loosing side."

            Finally, Harry asked, "what do you want, Riddle?"

            Tom looked surprised, leaning back slightly, pointing a long, narrow finger at himself. "Me, Potter? Why, you of all people should know what _I_ want."

            Harry gritted his teeth. "No, Riddle. Why don't you tell me? I'm no mind-reader."

            _I am,_ whispered Riddle's voice through Harry's mind. 

            _Your point?_ He asked backed. Riddle looked impressed, but he sneered aloud, "no point, Potter. I just wanted you to know."

            "What do you want?" he asked again, his emerald eyes on fire. 

            "Revenge," hissed Riddle. Harry smirked. 

            "Shouldn't that be _my_ line after everything you did in my life?" he countered. "Killing my parents, friends, school friends, teachers? Shouldn't I say I want to kill you to avenge and get revenge for everything you've done to me?"

            Riddle tapped his pale lips with a finger. "Perhaps. But you nearly stole my life from me."

            "You tried to kill _me,_" pointed Harry out. "You nearly stole my life, and you stole my parents' before their time."

            Riddle sneered. "Enough of this philosophical talk! We duel!"  
            "Is that your answer to everything?" asked Harry, almost lazily. 

            "WE DUEL!" he shouted, his scarlet eyes glowing. Harry nodded, bored. 

_I'm alive for you   
I'm awake because of you   
I'm alive I told you   
I'm awake swallowing you_

_(I'm awake swallowing you_

_I'm awake swallowing you_

_I'm awake swallowing you_

_I'm awake swallowing you)  
Go!_

            Harry and Riddle walked out to the center of the Great Hall, aware of every face watching them. Riddle turned and said in his meanest voice, which was fairly bitter, "Stay out of this. Potter is _mine_ to kill," hissing this to his Death Eaters. They nodded, murmuring, as they closed a circle around the two, grabbing Hermione by the arms and holding her up. All other members, except Draco, were held tightly against their wills. They watched in horror as Harry pulled his wand out. 

            Harry lowered his head a little, his eyes never wandering from Riddle's scarlet eyes. Riddle nodded. "Good, good. You haven't forgotten the ways."

            Harry felt the corners of his lips twitch. "I never will. You tortured me into it."

            Riddle smiled, a cruel unfeeling one. "That's right. I did," he said, before his wand was pointing straight at the center of Harry's chest. "Avada Kedavra!"  
            Harry merely watched the flashing green light that so many were afraid of come closer to him. Then, as it was inches away, he brought his hand up in a lightning fast movement and with his wrist, flicked. The spell went off to his left, and hit a Death Eater in the head. With the momentum, he fell backwards, dead. 

            Riddle's eyes were wide. "P-Potter. What new p-powers to do have h-hidden?" he asked. 

            Harry felt something he had never experienced when fighting against Voldemort/Riddle before; but it felt good. Then he placed it: he felt powerful, vigorous, overwhelming. He was feeling the things Voldemort felt when he was ready to kill, to attack.

            He was finally in power of his destiny. 

            _You always were,_ a voice told him, in the darkest corner of his mind. Acknowledging it, he nodded slightly once, and grinned maliciously at Riddle.

            Riddle looked slightly unsettling, setback, but stood his ground. After all, he had Potter in his hands how many times? Five, six? He had lost count years ago, but this new power… he would have to calculate his moves fittingly from now on. 

            "Riddle," said Harry in a nefarious voice, "Be prepared to me your demise."

_Turning back unveiling me   
Taking a step back so I can breath   
Hear the silence about to break   
Fear resistance when I'm awake…_

**-**

Hogwarts Castle emerged suddenly in the horizon, steadily coming closer as the coach rolled over the grassy field. Finally, the coach stopped near the doors, but far enough away to not be too noticed. 

"Look!" said Arabella, pointing out the windows. "Broomsticks! They've already arrived!"

As soon as she said this, the ground rumbled and with a blast of air, the top of an area at Hogwarts blew open, and branches, leaves and vines sprouted out, twisting this and that way. Screams echoed over the lonely grounds, reaching the delicate ears of the Salvation and Old Crowd mixed. 

"Oh shit," muttered George, as he and Fred began sprinting across the grounds. Oliver, Arabella, Cho and Padma were following closely, trying not to step on their heels. 

            The door to Hogwarts' hallway was open, not blasted. It was as if Riddle had been expecting them. 

            They walked in cautiously; until they heard Harry's faint voice say, "Cease fighting." They then began jogging in that direction, towards the Great Hall. They hid in the shadows as they arrived. Harry and Riddle were in the middle of the well-protected circle, ready to start fighting. The other Renaissance fighters were held tightly in the arms of the Death Eaters, glaring pure hatred towards Riddle, even little Ginny. 

            Oliver felt his eyes find Hermione, soughing her out. She looked livid as she struggled again and again internally to fight whatever bonds were not allowing her molecules to loosen and allow her to slip out of her captors' grasps.

            The shout of "Avada Kedavra" made Oliver returning his attention to Harry and Riddle, who were now rotating in a circle around each other, their eyes not blinking or leaving the others. 

            Oliver felt his nerves go on edge; he wanted so badly to get to his Mione, to save her. He started forward, slowly, carefully, as to not alert anyone of his presence. He had gotten quite good at that, actually. 

            When he was finally behind the Death Eater that held Hermione in his grasp, he pulled out a knife and placed its tip on the back. The Death Eater stiffened visibly and his eyes darted around. 

            "Let her go," he growled. He wasn't the only Salvatore who was in a pissy mood; Fred and George had already killed two Death Eaters who had Ginny and Ron in their hands. 

            Once they were freed, they turned their attention to Harry and Riddle's battle. Neither had moved from where Oliver had last seen them, but their wands lay on the ground, discarded. 

            "What's going on?" asked Oliver, whispering to Hermione. 

            Her eyes were riveted on Harry. "A mental war. Watch."

            Oliver turned, and did as she said. Just as he did so, Harry flew back a few strides, landing on his stomach. He quickly jumped to his feet and stared at Riddle, who also was blasted back a few paces before he caught himself. 

            "Oh," said Oliver, nodding like a fool. He did, really. You see, when the Renaissance arrived and began fighting, that wasn't a battle. That was warm ups. 

            _This_ was the battle.

**-**

**_Sophie W_**: It's the least I could do. You guys did well in skating too – hockey or otherwise. ^_^  And of _course_ I'm getting all the chapters out as soon as I can; _next_ year I'm going to be in hell; I'll have _at least_ two English's (one gr. 11 the other 12) and a ton of heavy course material, so I'm getting everything out ASAP before September, since I have about four other stories I want finished and out by then. Besides, who wants to read about anthropology, sociology and psychology in my stories? O_o Not me!!

**_Moony_**: I crack you up?? I do?? **Is confused** what?? Since when?? Actually, I probably won't have this story ending up D/G. Most likely S/G… AU pairings seem to be getting to me lately, lol.

**_G*Ness_**: You _hope_ you're wrong?? GAH!! I plan on having a happy ending ((coughs LIKESOMEONEIKNOW coughs)), but I plan also on having something truly evil pop up next chapter. **MWAHAHAH**

**_MistWalker_**: Torture Harry? Nah… Since Hermione is my favorite character, she's usually the main one during all my stories – I'm trying to revolve the characters (as you've probably read) but they ultimately go back to Hermione. So if anyone is tortured, it's Hermione… oopsies ^_^ Oliver ain't going to like that, now, is he??

**_Lady Knight of Kennan_**: Ha, ha, ha, I try to write as quickly as I ca, as stated above. Actually, I _do_ have a few original stories lying around on my hard drive, but I really don't want to post them on FFnet… and I enjoy writing fan fiction much more than originals on FFnet because with fan fiction, I've already got the basis of the characters personality and I don't have to make anything up, like: OH! Kevin would scream and throw things with _his short temper_ when he decoded the disk or something. OH!! And btw, _Supernova Girl_ is completely fin! No more chapters to my Zenon fic – though I might start another one later on ^_^ I sorted through my tapes and found the first and "zequel" a couple days ago, so I might rewatch them and write another Orion/Zenon centered. 

**_To everyone else:_** keep writing and reviewing! I hope you all liked this chapter! – Kneazle


	10. Chapter Nine: System

Pandora's Box

_Kneazle_

_DC: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot._

_AN: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, the Renaissances become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: they fight and teach, and have similar powers to: ex, Hermione = Kitty Pryde. The song during chapter eight is by Godsmack, "Awake"._

[Mar. 1, 02]

**-**

**_Why wont you die  
Your blood in mine  
Will be fine  
Then your body will be mine  
Why is everything so fucking hard for me?  
Keep me down to what you think I should be  
Must you tempt me and provoke the ministry  
Keep on trying I'm not dying so easily_********_– _**_Jonathan Davis__, "System"_

Queen of the Damned Soundtrack 

**~**

Chapter Nine

            Hermione's eyes watched Harry grin slightly. He changed the weight on one foot to the other, bouncing lightly on the heels of his feet. 

            "Why are _you_ smiling, Potter?" sneered Riddle. 

            "Because I know that I'm going to win," he replied. 

            "You believe so," snapped Riddle. Harry just shook his head slowly. When Riddle said nothing more, Harry's emerald eyes narrowed to slits.

            "I know so."

            Riddle's eyes widened.

            Harry's eyes looked back slightly as he barked out a command, "free the prisoners. Kill the Death Eaters. Then get out of here. With or without me."

            Hermione nodded, blasted a Death Eater right off his feet, and charged forward. She and Oliver ran towards the high table, where the teachers sat in shock. It seemed as if they were too tired to move, to fight back. 

            Ron, Lavender, Dean, Padma, Blaise and Cho ran down towards the Slytherin common room, where somewhere down there they could find the place where Riddle kept the prisoners.

            "Wait!" hissed a voice. Ron turned, and with his wand pointed at the voice, he commanded, "Show yourself."

            A young woman their age stepped out of the shadows. "I'm Sarah Fawcett. Remember me? Ravenclaw?"

            Ron nodded, and put the wand down. "Do you know where the prisoners are kept?"

            She nodded, her glossy brown curls bobbing as she did so. "Follow me. I know a few passages we can take to avoid more Death Eaters."

            Ron nodded, and they disappeared out of the Great Hall.

            Draco and Lucius moved off to fight in their own space, sending spells backwards left, right and centered. 

            Remus, Seamus, Ginny, Neville and Fred began to walk around the High Table, making sure Oliver and Hermione could figure something out, to get the teachers out of their tired state. 

            George was running around the whole Great Hall, amidst of the battles and was sending off Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, trying to distract the Death Eaters. They worked wonders.

            "Minerva! Can you say something?" asked Hermione, stepping up to her idol. Minerva McGonagall stared blankly up at Hermione. Her eyes were sad, pained. She couldn't talk. 

            "Severus?" Oliver tried, looking at Snape.

            "They've got some spell on them," he sighed wearily. "They're held in place by a locket in Riddle's office – Dumbledore's old one – and cannot come out of it until it's broken."

            "Do you know what it looks like?" asked Oliver. Hermione looked pained herself. 

            "Of course."

            "Can you lead Neville, Fred and George to it? We'll work down here," asked Oliver, motioning those three over. They heard what they were to do, and nodded. 

            Severus Snape looked them over, something flashing in his eyes before they returned back to their onyx black. "Follow me," he said briskly, and the four disappeared out of the Great Hall, lost in a sea of Death Eaters charging at them. 

            Oliver and Hermione shared a look; they were going to work as a team. He laced his fingers together, and she placed a boot in it. Then, placing her hands on his shoulders, he counted three and boosted her into the air. She did a forward somersault and landed directly in front of the Death Eaters they were a couple meters away. She grinned, waved a bit and their wands went flying past her, to her behind. 

            Remus, Seamus, Ginny and Oliver stood behind her, the Death Eaters wands' in their hands. Simultaneously, they snapped each one. A loud, _crack_, filled the Great Hall. 

            Anguished cries from the Death Eaters were a loud boom too; when their wands snapped, it was like a piece of their soul disappeared. 

            Hermione raised her right hand, her fingers clasped tightly in her palm. Then, one finger went up… and then another.

            When the fifth was up, jets of green light brushed by her. They hit the Death Eaters, and the whole front line fell to the ground, their unseeing eyes staring up at Hermione. She shivered, but did the same thing again with her hand. More Death Eaters surged forward, and once again, on the fifth count, they went down. This time, though, Hermione and Ginny sent waves of their power out, knocking the Death Eaters back, stumbling a few paces. 

            A few tripped, and as the others moved forward, were trampled. Hermione could hear their cries, the sound of boots crushing bones and the sighed of a thin line of blood traveling towards her. 

            Human blood.

            She suddenly felt the world slide out from under her; it was too much for her to handle. Vomit crept up into her throat, and she tried to swallow. It didn't help, so seconds later, she bent and threw up the vile taste from her mouth. 

            She spat out whatever saliva was left, trying to cleanse her mouth. Nothing helped. A shadow fell across her, and she looked up to see a Death Eater looming above her, leering. 

            She sighed, and with her palm out, did the same thing to him as she had done to Pansy Parkinson two weeks ago. 

            Finding the main body parts, the ones where people were must vulnerable; she mentally grabbed the one of the heart and tightened her hold. The Death Eater screamed, and fell to the ground, panting and clutching his chest. 

            His eyes were so wide she could she the whites, and his mouth was open in a scream so loud and wide that she could see his back molars. 

            The next second, Oliver had tackled the Death Eater, wrenching him to the ground, and constantly pounding his fist into the man's jaw. Hermione let go of the man's heart and he slumped to the ground unconscious. 

            Oliver offered his hand out to her, and Hermione took it. "Thanks," she whispered. Oliver grinned at her, and turned away to continue fighting. 

            In truth, they weren't doing too badly. Ginny was helping Seamus, as he refused to physically touch any Death Eater. Ginny seemed to think that was ridiculous but he helped her, circling so that she would physically attack, and he would grab their wands and kill them with spells.

            Hermione didn't notice the man creep up behind her. She didn't notice until she was swung into the air. But she slipped through his grasp using his mutation and spat on him, before using her pocketknife. He missed it, but it cut along his check. Muttering curses at her, he allowed the crowd to suck him in and he disappeared behind them, as more Death Eaters came forward. 

            "Is there no end to them?" she shouted, sending a blast of energy out at them. The shock wave crashed into them, sending the large group flying backwards, all together into one of the walls. A cleared path the size of the football field lay between her and them. 

            "Wow, Herm," commented Ginny, coming up next to her. "Anger management classes."

            Hermione shot her a cold look, and said, "shut up Ginny," before she turned to face a new opponent.

**-**

            The dungeons were damp and cold, as a chilly breeze swept up over the seven raced down the hallways. 

            "This way!" commanded Sarah, turning sharply to the left, her heels clicking lightly on the cobblestone floors. Ron trotted behind her, his super speed allowing him to keep up easily. The rest, Lavender, Cho, Dean, Padma and Blaise, were panting heavily by the time she placed a finger to her lips, silencing them. 

            Nodding, they regulated their breathing and opened the heavy iron door. Sarah stepped in first. 

            "Fawcett," said the heavy voice grunt that could only be Crabbe or Goyle's. Ron steadied his shaking hand, placing it out in front of him. 

            "On three," he mouthed. "One…"

            Sarah smiled politely and took the key rings from Goyle. "Sleep tight," she grinned. Performing an unconscious spell, she knocked them heavily out with a torch holder, just as Ron barged in, his hand and wand ready to be deadly. 

            "What the hell?" he asked, looking down. 

            "I can take care of myself, Mr. Weasley," she said coolly. Ron's wide eyes showed that he had no intention of not believing that. 

            "Right-o," said Blaise, grinning widely as Cho stepped out from behind him. "Are we ready to set some prisoners free?"

            Sarah nodded, un-hooking the ring before tossing the pairs a key each. "I'll stay here, near the front, so no one suspects that there is anyone far back. Okay?"

            Without waiting for them to answer, she turned her back, fumbled with the key on her ring and placed it in the lock. Looking up at the motionless group, she snapped, "What are you waiting for? You have your orders from Harry!"

             Ron jumped into action, grabbing Lavender's hand and dragging her to the farthest cells in the whole dungeon. She protested the whole way, and the group heard her shrill voice until they faded away, down into the darkness that surrounded them. 

            Blaise and Cho grinned, before racing each other down. They had to get the prisoners out as soon as they could, before Harry or Voldemort were killed. 

            Dean and Padma went one lock down, working opposite of Sarah. She swung her door open quickly, and shouted inside of it, "you're free! Leave!"

            The prisoner stared up at her, as if she was going to kill him. Sighing, she pointed her wand at him and the man cowered. "_Revivifium_," she said. A gold glow encircled the man, and the bags under his eyes disappeared; his skin was clean, and his hair no longer filthy. No longer a living shell of himself, he stood with renewed strength and strode out of the dungeons, thanking Sarah. She smiled in return and proceeded to the next cell. 

            Each time, the prisoner thanked her, looking much better than before. Something fluttered in the bottom of her stomach as opened one of her last cells. Many other prisoners were passing her, from where the others were. Ron and Lavender appeared, following Blaise and Cho as they stepped into her lockdown area. 

            "Are you guys ready to get out of here now?" she asked, shuddering. _After all these years,_ she thought, _finally. I'll be able to leave this Hell I've known._

            Cho opened her mouth to respond, when she shut it again, her teeth clicking together as she did so. Her eyes were wide with fear and with a shaky hand, she pointed over Sarah's shoulder. 

            Sighing, the girl turned – and screamed pointedly into the face of a mountain troll. 

            Sarah scrambled back, still screaming. She ducked her head, bringing an arm up to protect her face as the mountain troll's club came down crashing on her.

            However, the club never hit Sarah, but seemed to roll off her as a blinding, curved gold light bubbled around her. 

            Looking back, she saw Blaise with a livid look on his face. He was slowly advancing on the troll, who had a dumbfounded look on its face.

            "You dare to hurt another one of our kind?" he whispered in a deadly vile voice, hissing it lowly. He left the group of Renaissance/Salvation wizards behind as he continued walking past Sarah to stand directly beneath the troll. 

            It grunted, glowering down at Blaise. "You kill my parents, you kill my _brother_, my idol," he continued. "And now, you and your kind shall suffer."

            Ron looked speechless. _So this is what Hermione used to mean when she said all Slytherins aren't that bad… they _do_ have a soul inside._

            "Ron," snapped Blaise.

            "Hmm?" replied Ron, in awe.

            "Leave. Leave this troll to me. He's mine. Don't worry about me," he said, pointing his wand at the troll. It recognized the sign of a challenge and grunted back in return. He backed up a few paces and stood beside Cho. "Be careful," he whispered to her. 

            She nodded, tearfully, and hugged him tightly as she ran out of the dungeons following the others.

            Once gone, Blaise turned back to face the troll, only to barely miss the swing of its club. The momentums of the swing made the troll trip a bit, on his right foot, and Blaise used this to his advantage. Kicking him there, on the ankle, the troll tripped completely now. It fell to the ground, shattering some glass somewhere in the dungeons, rattling the opened locks. 

            Blaise bent his knees, making his legs absorb the shock of the floor shaking. He then realized that the troll had hit its head hard, with greenish blood leaking out of its ear. Momentarily stunned, Blaise used the opportunity to stare blankly down at the creature before pointing his wand directly between its two eyes. 

            "My revenge is over," he whispered in a deadly voice, "_Avada Kedavra_."

**-**

            Neville, still a little intimidated by Snape's presence was quiet as they crept down the hallway, finally to the spot where Dumbledore's gargoyle stood. Instead, there was now a winding snake, with sapphire eyes. 

            "Do you know the password?" asked Fred, panting slightly. George looked around, prancing this way and that, making sure no one was coming. 

            Snape looked grim. "Yes."

            "Then why don't you say it?"

            "I don't know how to say it," replied Snape, glaring at Fred. Fred stared defiantly up at him. 

            "You're shitting me. It's a word. You're a professor. Hello?" he said, staring at his old potions master. "One plus one does _not_ equal five, so what's the problem?"

            "You need to say the password in Parseltongue!" cried Snape finally. 

            Fred, Neville and George, who had turned and was paying attention to the argument, all groaned. 

            "Perhaps I can help," said a cool voice behind them.

            Turning, the group gasped, no sound coming out in what one could only say as a silent, death scream. They were looking in to the face of a melting, deformed Lord Voldemort. 

            "Oh shit," murmured George, backing away until he was up against the cool stonewall. Through his thin sweater, he could feel the pricks of where the wall wasn't chipped away perfectly. The musky coolness seeped into his shirt, chilling him to the bone.

            Fred copied his twin, both of them pressed up against the wall, either side of the stone snake. Snape and Neville were rigid in shock. 

            The deformed face gave a twisted grin. "Never saw a polyjuice potion do this before, huh?" said the cool and raspy voice of the owner. The scarlet eyes that were trademarks of Lord Voldemort's were slowly dulling, becoming a mundane brown. 

            The man's sinister grin stayed plastered on his face as he bent down to the height of the snake's mouth and hissed, "_massacre_."

            However, no one understood what he spoke because it was in another, low, hissing language. 

            The snake slithered aside, and the man stepped through the space that was created, and continued to walk briskly up the moving staircase. 

            The others followed wordlessly. 

            Once they reached the top, the man turned, sat down at the edge of the desk that was there, and crossed his legs like a man should, by the knee. 

            Neville gapped openly. The face was no longer melted, deformed or that of Lord Voldemort's. Instead, the handsome features of a familiar friend stared back at them. Neville blinked in surprise as he tried to place the face with an old friend. 

            What he blurted out surprised even Snape. "_JUSTIN FINCH-FLETCHLY?_"

            Justin grinned, a handsome smile that was only considered now abominable to the others. He looked at each in the eye. 

            "Quite so, Neville," he replied simply. "Ah, the old Hogwarts days when we were all naïve and friends."

            "What happened?" shouted Fred, striding up to him and grabbing his collar. He shook him violently. "How could you let down everyone and become one of them?" he spat the last sentence.

            Justin calmly removed Fred's hands from his collar, sneering in disgust. It looked out of place on the young man. 

            "Weasley, you just don't get it, do you?" he snarled. "Stupid Muggle-lover like yourself. You can't see it and you never will. So I'll spare you the embarrassment of the lack of knowledge.

            "That _day_ when you and your silly friends were captured and sent into status by my Lord, I remembered thinking that all hope was lost," said Justin, sneering at Neville, who surprisingly glared back with matched resentment. "When the Lord then took you and your _friends_ to wherever it was that you were placed, he came back and asked, 'who shall join me now? Think of glory, power you have never imagined!' I was tempted. Of course, there was hardly anyone who wasn't amongst us who was left. Most teachers were, though." He paused to remember the day.

            "You're sick," spat George. Justin's brown eyes flickered over to him, and with a simple wave of his hand, George went sailing back, slamming against the far wall, his eyes wide in horror. As he slid down, a spot of red marked the place his head hit. Blood oozed down the wall, to where George now lay. 

            "_George!!_" screamed his brother, as Fred went to make a move towards him. The palm in front of his face made him stop. 

            "One more step Weasley, and I'll kill you right here and now," threatened Justin. Fred simply glared at him. 

            "Go ahead," he spat, sucking in his saliva before he spat it out onto Justin's face. Justin opened his mouth, after he delicately wiped the spit off his cheek. 

            "Avada"—he was cut off as Neville slammed into him, pinning him to the ground. With his mind, he broke Justin's wand, and did as Hermione instructed – he found one of the seven main body organs with his mind and squeezed it. Justin went gasping for air. 

            "Please—Neville—stop," he gasped. Neville glowered at him. 

            "You son of a bitch," he barked. "When you had no friends, who was around? Me! When you needed help with work, who was there to help and tutor you? Me! Is this the way to treat one of your old, and best friends? Huh?? _Answer me, **dammit**_!"

            Justin gasped for air, wheezing as he replied, "no—no, of—course not, not—at all—Neville, my—friend."

            Neville slammed his free hand down into Justin's jaw and placed his mouth near Justin's ear. "You are no longer my friend," he said softly, so only Justin could hear. "Rot in the Hell you helped create, you bastard. _Avada Kedavra_."

            Neville stood up, glared down at Justin's inert body, and glanced over at Fred who was holding George's head up delicately. 

            "How is he?" asked Snape quietly. 

            "Concussion," replied Fred, with a choked voice. "We should get out of here as soon as we can."

            "Take George and get the bloody hell out of here," commanded Neville. "Snape and myself with find the locket. Okay?"

            Fred nodded, preformed light lightweight spell and left the office, George's body floating quickly next to him. 

            "I would never have suspected you to be one of them," said Snape in a low voice. "You never seemed the type."

            Neville ignored him, as he began looking around Dumbledore's old desk for something that looked like a locket. As he opened a drawer, he said quite suddenly, "I always was."

            Glancing up, but not moving his head, he saw Snape stop his search and straightened. He turned, looked at Neville, and nodded. "I always knew too."

            The two held a mutual respect for each other now. Neville nodded, smiled slightly, and went back to looking around the desk. As he shuffled through some papers, a letter with Dumbledore's loopy scrawl caught his attention. 

            The name on the front made his eyes widen slightly. _Harry Potter_ made him pick it up. It was sealed, so he had no idea what it was about. Glancing around the room, he saw Snape looking interestingly at a picture frame that he was trying to move without success. He was very focused to that, so Neville quickly stuffed the letter into his coat pocket. He'd give it to Harry later.

            _If he lives,_ reminded a nasty voice. Neville growled in a low voice, hoping Snape wouldn't hear. He didn't.

            _He will,_ he retorted to his subconscious. He then wrinkled his nose as he pulled at a chain on the handle of the drawer. It slipped to the floor, an oval locket at its end. 

            "Found it," he said, holding it up. Flicking it open, she saw tiny little teachers locked inside. They were screaming silently, their expression murderous and scared. 

            Snape came over, took one look at it, and grabbed it from Neville. "HEY!" he protested; but at that very moment, Snape swung it above his head, and made it come plunge down onto the desktop. 

            The locket cracked, splitting open. The gold contents of it went in every which direction, and the teachers inside flew out, like birds that were caged being set free. 

            Once the last teacher left (Professor Binns was saying something about missing homework), Neville and Snape looked at each other. 

            They bolted from the office, their job done. The rest of the work would be up to Hermione, Oliver, Draco and Harry. 

**-**

Draco snarled as Lucius's fist connected with the side of his face. He felt the automatic swell and knew tomorrow – if he lived that long – he would have a bruise there. 

            "You shit, you shit-ass father," he snapped, swinging at Lucius. The end of his knuckles met with Lucius's cheek, too, and the force of Draco's swing made Lucius' head snap back. 

            When he turned his head to face his son, his eyes were colder than Draco had ever seen them before, and they were narrowed into steel slits. 

            "You are no son of mine," said Lucius coolly. "I am not your father. I have never been a father."

            "Well that's the first truth you've ever said," snapped Draco. "All I learnt from you were lies – lies and more lies. I'm sick of lies. I want the truth, and the only way I'll have it is to be free of _you!_"

            He then slammed his hands into Lucius's shoulders, making his father rear back, rocking on his heels. Draco took that to his advantage and did a roundhouse kick to his face. Lucius fell on his back, and pushed himself up on his elbows to see Draco's feet step on either side of his father's waist. 

            Squatting, he looked his father in the eye and asked, "How does it feel to be on the loosing side now? Are you sure you chose the right side all along?"

            And with that said, he pointed his wand at his father's face, and said, "Goodbye Lucius. I'm glad that I never got to know you the way a father should get to know his son. _Avada Kedavra!_"

            Lucius's elbows went limp, and his whole body shuddered once before he fell to the ground, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. 

            Once Draco was sure he was dead (ho_w could he not have been? _He wondered later), he went over to join Oliver and Hermione. 

            They were arousing all of the Professors, who seemed to have woken up from a deep sleep. 

            Minerva McGonagall took one look at Hermione, realized it was she, and hugged tightly. "I'm so glad that you and the others escaped!" she crooned. 

            Hermione looked a bit ruffled, but flattered. "Professor—"

            "Minerva, dear Hermione. We're adults now," she interrupted. 

            "—Minerva, Harry and Riddle are in the middle of a fight. If you go outside, you should find a coach that will take you and all of the other Professors to Bingingham Castle."

            "Bingingham? What's that?" asked Flitwick. 

            "That's the Institute of Magical Studies, or Institute of Magic," said Oliver from where he was standing. "We made a new Hogwarts. Students are there and we're expecting tons more soon. We could really use the teachers and help."

            The other Professors gave instantaneous replies and hurried out of the room, but not before little Flitwick stopped to glare up at a Death Eater and kick him forcefully in the shins and then hurry away. 

            "How'd it go?" Hermione asked Draco. 

            He gave her a side-ways look. "My father is dead."

            "You killed him?" said Hermione, stating it rather than asking. Draco gave her a look that was unreadable, but she could only guess how he felt. 

            "Yes," he then turned to watch Harry and Riddle. "Shall we go?"

            Oliver and Hermione were silent. Finally, Hermione spoke up, "Harry might need our help. He'll hate us if we try to help him, but I'd rather have him hating me for eternity than having him dead."

            Oliver and Draco nodded, inching closer to where Riddle and Harry were dueling. 

            "Think you can win, Potter?" hollered Riddle, making a 'shoo' motion with his hand. Harry gritted his teeth together as he braced himself against the wave of power that washed over him. 

            "I think so," he replied, and spread his legs apart, one in front of the other. He then placed the heels of her hands together, cupping them, so if the fingers touched they would form a crude heart. He brought it behind his waist, and then thrust his hands forward. Riddle was knocked off his feet, sent flying back, skittering across the floor.

            When he hit the wall, the large Hufflepuff tapestry came falling down on him, covering him completely.

            There was silence for a few seconds, except for the moaning of Death Eaters, and the sound of footsteps of students as they ran out of the Great Hall and onto the Quidditch Field where they would be safe. 

            Suddenly, there was a terrifying roar as the Hufflepuff tapestry began to burn. The flame turned into a large fire, engulfing the whole tapestry. As the fire died away, its ashes blew away in a non-existent wind. 

            Tom Riddle, his black hair much more disheveled than before, scarlet eyes burning, stood in the middle of the ashes. His shoulders were hunched, and he was looking deadly, livid, enraged.

            "You will never win," he said softly, his voice carrying across the now empty Great Hall. "Never, Potter."

            As he began walking towards, Harry, Hermione, Oliver and Draco could all feel the energy radiating off of his body.

            "Never," he repeated again, stopping only a few hundred paces away, panting heavily. Hermione gulped.

**-**

            Ron, Lavender, Cho, Sarah, Dean and Padma met Seamus and Ginny in the hallway by the Hogwarts doors. Fred came with George floating behind him, briefly filling them in on what happened in Dumbledore's old office, which the fake Lord Voldemort was. 

            Ron, Ginny and Lavender were surprised, but said nothing as they realized that Snape and Neville had completed their task when the Professor came rushing out, mixed with many students from the Great Hall. 

            They didn't stop to talk, but began wondering what they should do now. 

            "We should do as Harry said," begged Lavender. "I have a really bad feeling of what's going to happen, please Ron!"  
            Ron shook Lavender off. Cupping her face with his hands, he said, "Lavender, those are my best friends in there. I love them. I have to be there for them, and I will do anything for them. I will also disobey Harry."

            Lavender, tearing up, tried to shake her head, but Ron silenced any further complaints with a passion-filled kiss. 

            "My promise," he whispered huskily to her, his lips mumbling against her own. "My promise to you that I will come out alive. I will marry you, Lavender Brown. I love you."

            She bit her lip, and finally sighed. "Go," she whispered, "but be careful."

            He nodded, looked around the group, and said, "A few of you should go out there. Help George and get those damn Professors on the coach. Seamus, Ginny. You guys come with me."

            "Me too!" piped up the petite Sarah. She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Ron. "Me too," she repeated. 

            Ron nodded, and waved them forward with two fingers. Blaise appeared then, and Cho clung on to him the rest of the way out of Hogwarts with Dean and Padma. Neville and Snape arrived soon too, descending the large staircase in the front of the Hall. 

            With a quick nod to the four, they kept running by, and left the building. The whole school was unusually and uneasily quiet.

            A roar caught the group's attention as they ran towards the Great Hall, only a football field's length away. 

            Ron made it to the door first, holding a stitch in his side from using his super speed all the time. 

            Riddle looked furious as he stopped only a yard away from Harry, saying, "Never." Ron looked off to the side, where Hermione, Oliver and Draco stood, by the head table. They were close to Harry, but off to the side. They would only be able to get out of the Great Hall if they went through the line of fire. 

            "Harry!" called Ginny, "we're staying! We're rooting for you!"

            Seamus cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, projecting his voice, "we believe in you!"

            Harry made no intention of hearing them, but Ron knew he did and appreciated the vote of confidence. Riddle ignored them as he picked up his forgotten wand. 

            Harry stretched his hand out and summoned it into his waiting hand that way. They never took their eyes off one another. 

            "Potter!" screamed Riddle, "Welcome Death with open arms and He might spare you!"

            Harry smirked, "Why don't you just die, Riddle? Spare us all the trouble."

            At this, Riddle let out an enraged cry, and with pent-up anger, let his energy flow out in a huge wave at Harry. The smirk disappeared as he focused his attention to blocking the attack. 

            He fell back a couple of steps, his arms making an 'x' in front of his face as he did this. Bowing his head, the group watched beads of sweat appear on Harry's forehead until he was thrown off his feet. He fell hard to the ground. 

            Riddle was walking slowly closer, and stopped when Harry pushed himself to a sitting position on the ground. Blood oozed its way slowly down his cheek. He ignored it as he watched Riddle for any new movement. 

            With a sense of foreboding, Ron realized that this was the moment that Lavender had meant. Something was amiss; Harry's powers seemed to have dropped considerably since Riddle's last attack. They wore him down. 

            Riddle, realizing that, stepped once more, confidently forward before straddling his feet to be equal with his shoulders. His brother wand was pointed at Harry's chest. 

            "Oh, how I've waited for this day," gloated Riddle, "for so long. And now, finally, you will be _dead_."

            Harry's chest rose and fell with heavy labored breathing. He wheezed, and Hermione was sure he broke some ribs on that fall. 

            "_Avada Kedavra!_" brought her back to her senses, as she realized that Riddle had said those unforgettable words. 

            Her eyes widened; as did Ron's and everyone else's. The curse was aimed directly at Harry's chest, and he watched as the curse sped closer and closer to him. 

            Hermione hardly knew what she was doing until she was looking at the curse head-on. She was taking the curse for Harry. 

"HERMIONE!" screamed Oliver's voice. She looked once over at him, and mouthed, "I love you", just as the curse hit her.

In a way, it was beautiful. There was the sense that all her worries were gone, the sense of floating and that nothing would ever hurt her now. She felt her body grow warm, very warm. Too warm for any being on the world, and just as she thought she couldn't stand the heat anymore, she fell into a black void.

**-**

**MistWalker**: is this fighting well? I doubt you'd want to eat ice cream with a cherry on top right now, but… ^_^ interesting chapter huh? Like you said, no story is complete without character torture… MWAHAHA

**G*Ness**: Well, okay, so Draco didn't "flat out" kill Lucius, but it was pretty close, huh? And yes, the story will be Seamus/Ginny. I made my mind up now ^_^. Oh! And in case if you're wondering, it _will_ be a happy ending. Well, semi-happy anyway. **Cackles evilly**

**Smile7499**: You'll just have to wait to the next chapter to find out what Seamus' power is. But I can say that whatever it is, it's _extremely _important to what happens next. Think: since I've been using the X-Men powers… which character's power **_haven't_** I used? Guess, if you want. Just go through them – **_SHE_** is a main character. That is all. ^_~

**Lady Knight of Kennan**: If posting stories on FFnet is publishing, and then I'm set for journalism in University. I was told we need to publish five items, and I sure as hell have more than five.

**Moony**: tell me whenever it's posted, okay??

**Please, please, please, PLEASE review and tell me what you all think of this chapter; it's the climax and turning point of the story, and I'd really like to know what everyone thinks of this chapter! Thanks! -- Kneazle**


	11. Chapter Ten: Only Hope

Pandora's Box

_Kneazle_

**_DC_**_: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot. Amelia Atwater-Rhodes bases fighting scenes on episodes of Dragonball, Z, and GT, and afflicted books. Meg Cabot bases the diary entry on "The Princess Diaries", and the final scene is based on an episode of "The Wild Thornberries". _

**_AN_**_: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, the Renaissances become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: Evolution, they fight and teach, and have similar powers to: ex, Hermione = Kitty Pryde. The song during chapter eight is by Godsmack, "Awake"._

 [Mar. 2, 02]

**-**

**_So, I lay my head back down,   
And I lift my hands and pray   
to be only yours, I pray, to be only yours,   
I know now you're my only hope_**

– _Mandy Moore, "Only Hope"_

_From_ A Walk to Remember

**-**

Chapter Ten

            Oliver stared numbly at the spot where Hermione had stood seconds ago. She was now lying crumpled at Harry's feet, her body glowing steadily a blood red, while every once in a while red sparks would shoot off her. Harry and Ron were both at her side in an instant. 

            "Herm," whispered Ron, tearfully, "Come on, Mione, get up. Wake up."

            Harry reached for her cheek, but drew back immediately. Blisters boiled up on his skin, and Ron looked on in disbelief. At Harry's burnt hand, he tried shouting through tears for Hermione to wake up, you can't be dead, we need you, and we love you.

            Oliver didn't feel his legs move, but within seconds he was kneeling besides Hermione, his tears dropping onto her cheek. As soon as they touched her skin, they hissed and sizzled, burning up. 

            "Mione," he whispered, unaware he was crying. "Hermione. I love you. Don't leave me."

            She didn't stir. 

            At this, Harry stood, roared some obscene words, and turned to face Riddle. Scarlet eyes met emerald, and in that fleeting second, Riddle knew that he went too far. He was going to die. 

            Both, strangely enough, Harry and Seamus surged forward; working together as they cut across one another and making Riddle go dizzy. Harry reached Riddle first, snapping his head back clearly with a right uppercut. Spit and blood mixed as Riddle's lip was cut. 

            Another punch – this time Riddle's nose let out a snap, and blood dripped down. His nose was broken. 

            Harry pulled his hand once more back, way past his shoulder joint and let it rip forward. It hit Riddle square in the middle of his face, and Riddle shut his eyes. He stumbled back, and felt someone's hands on his back, steadying him.

            Turning, he opened his eyes to squint through them, and saw Seamus Finnigan glaring darkly at him. 

            Seamus pointed his wand at Riddle, and somehow channeled his energy through his wand. The force sent Riddle flying away, falling and lying on the ground at Harry's feet. 

            "Do you like it?" growled Harry. "Do you like the feeling? This is how we felt the whole time. You didn't have to feel like this, _Tom_. You could've been like any of us. Now, you will suffer just like we all did."

            With that, Harry slammed the tip of his boot into Riddle's ribs. He groaned in pain, rolling onto his side. Harry slammed the heel of his boot into Riddle's stomach and kicked him so he face lying flat on his stomach.

            He looked up and saw Seamus' murderous expression. "Seamus!" he called. Seamus looked up and jogged over, looking down at the pitiful sight of what had been the mighty Lord Voldemort. 

            "Yeah, Harry?" asked Seamus. 

            Harry looked him right in the eyes. "I want you to use your powers on him."

            Seamus's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? I-I can't. I can't kill him that way."

            "Are you crazy? I want to kill the bastard. I just want you to take enough of his life force or power to transfer to Hermione, so we can bring her back," said Harry, staring at Seamus as if he was crazy.

            Seamus looked at Harry in disbelief. "Will that work?" he asked quietly, looking over Harry's shoulder to see Oliver and Ron crying over Hermione's body, Ginny's face pressed into Draco's shoulder and Sarah's disconnected expression. 

            Harry followed his gaze, and then turned to see Riddle struggling to get up. He slammed his boot again into his sided, and then pulled him up. Riddle's scarlet eyes looked dully into Harry's emerald. Their powers had both been worn down, and now they were just two regular young men, not wizards. 

            "It should," he replied, dropping Riddle. He moaned as his chin hit the floor. Harry felt no sympathy for the man. He had hurt him in far too many ways, and when it came to Voldemort, nothing about him made him think that at one time, he had also once been a normal young man, teenager, like Harry had been. 

            Seamus nodded, and squatted next to Riddle's bruised and bloodied body. He rolled up the sleeves of his torn and bloody shirt, and flipped Riddle over. 

            He then placed his fingertips on his skin, and instantly he felt the greedy sucking sensation as he felt parts of Riddle's soul and wizardring power flow into Seamus's own magical power. He concentrated on only taking enough, watching Riddle's scarlet eyes widen and go bloodshot. 

            His mouth was open in a silent scream, the blue veins appearing on the now extremely milky white skin. Seamus abruptly let go of Riddle, the sucking sensation now gone. Riddle fell unceremoniously to the ground, landing with a _thump_. 

            Seamus was suddenly aware of everything in his body; every twitch, every beat of his heart, the super sensitive areas of his fingertips – everything. 

            He walked to Hermione, and knelt by her head. Oliver looked up at him with his tear-streaked face. Ron watched too, a solemn look on his face. 

            Seamus wondered how on earth he was to transfer the powers. Too much, and he was dead. Too little, and he wouldn't bring her back. He needed the right amount. 

            He gingerly placed one palm on each side of her face, feeling the hot touch of her skin seep into his skin. _Ice_, he though, and watched her skin slowly take on a blue tint, starting from where his hands were. 

            Oliver watched him warily. 

            Seamus then checked to see if any life was left in her; nothing, he found. He then concentrated on opening a mental valve that allowed Riddle's magic to flow into Hermione's body, but nothing circuit back into Seamus. 

            He furrowed his brow in concentration, biting his lip as he felt the exhaustion and pain roll into the back of his mind. He could feel the probing pain that went in rather with his heart, each second of pain in sync with his heart. 

            Soon, he would be tired. Sweat rolled off his brow and into his eyebrows. Sweat formed under his lips, and he licked it away, grimacing at salty taste. 

            After what seemed like forever, Seamus felt Riddle's last bit of power he absorbed leak out into Hermione. He shut off the valve from Riddle's power through him, and then the valve from him to her. He then sighed, stood shakily, and allowed Ginny to fuss over him. He leaned against the cool wall, aware that Ginny was wiping his brow delicately.

            It was all up to nature now to allow Hermione to come back… or stay dead.

**-**

            Oliver cradled Hermione's head in his hands. After Seamus placed his hands on her cheeks, her skin went an icy, cool blue. Now, he was free to touch and hold her without worry of being burnt. 

            "Come on, my Mione," he whispered, holding her close. "Make it. Come back. For me."

            He pressed his face to the nape of her neck, burrowing his nose and face in her glossy brown hair. It was no longer up in a ponytail, but loose and flowing around her. 

            Ron sat off to the side, ever watchful and silent. He was in mourning for his best friend, wondering if Seamus's trick would work. 

            Suddenly, Hermione took a deep, sucking breath. Her whole chest heaved, and she began coughing right away. Oliver looked up with startled eyes, and helped her sit upright as he patted her back. She held out her hand, and began coughing violently. She coughed up some blood, but then with calming breaths, she stopped coughing. 

            Once she was done, Oliver grabbed her by the shoulders and whispered hoarsely, "don't you _ever_ scare me like that again."

            He then clung to her tightly, wrapping her slender and small body in his, dominating her space. She was confused, but at once the memories of jumping into the _Avada Kedavra_'s path, and then… finally… dying… 

            "Did I die?" she whispered, frightened to learn the truth. Oliver said nothing but held her tighter. That was enough of an answer for her: she had. 

            She reached up and wrapped her arms around him too, reaching up behind him and playing with the end of his hair. 

            He sighed, in content, and then looked up. Ron had his eyes closed, a faint smile on his lips. He looked relived, and he let out a deep sigh. 

            He then opened his eyes and looked up at Harry who was glaring down at Riddle's body. Riddle moaned and struggled to get up, succeeding. He then began to brush off some of the dirt on his clothes.

            "Oliver," said Ron, "I think that this is our cue to leave."

            Oliver looked up, realized Harry wanted to finish Riddle once and for all by all means necessary, and wanted his friends out. Nodding, Oliver scooped up a fatigued and dangerously pale Hermione, and began to walk out of the Great Hall. 

            Looking slightly around Oliver's arm, Hermione called out, "you can do it Harry!" but it only came out as a weak sigh. So, instead, she sent him a strong mental message. 

            _I believe in you,_ she thought, _and thank you, Harry. For helping me live._

            Harry's back stiffened, but he didn't turn around. Seamus was being supported by Draco and Ginny as they half-dragged, half-carried him out. Sarah followed wordlessly.

            _You saved me, Mione,_ he replied. _For that, I am forever grateful. You and Ron, remember, will always be in my heart. I love you guys._

            With that said, he ended all other messages and relaxed his back. Hermione watched him until they were out of the Great Hall. She then closed her eyes and allowed the niceness of sleep overcome her.

**-**

            "Feeling cocky Potter?" sneered Riddle. "What were you saying to the Mudblood?"

            "First off, her name is _Hermione_," snarled Harry, "and secondly, I was saying goodbye."

            "How sweet," he sneered again, and went into a fighting stance. "I see that since ours powers are pretty much gone, we'll fight like muggles."

            "Yes," quipped Harry, "like the very beings you detest so much."

            At this, Riddle cringed, but nonetheless, dashed forward and tried to punch Harry. He dodged, and used his left hand to punch Riddle. 

            The only sounds in the whole Great Hall were those of pants of two men fighting, and the sounds of shoes squeaking on the floor. 

            Harry leapt back, but his foot caught on a dead body. He fell backwards, and watched Riddle jump on him. He clawed at his throat, trying to get his pale, long fingers around Harry's neck. 

            Choking, Harry had a weird sense of déjà vu – Quirrell had done the same thing back in his first year. Harry used his hands, placing them on Riddle's pale face, and pushed him off. 

            Riddle only sat back – so, Harry brought his knees up to his chest and kicked out. Riddle went a couple of paces back, and at once, Harry was on Riddle, a hand on his collar and punching his face, alternating each side. 

            A rumble caught both of their attention. Harry looked up; trying to place it, when Riddle used it to his advantage. He knocked Harry away from him, and grabbed Hermione's fallen pocketknife. 

            Holding it tightly in his hand, he made short jabs at Harry with it. Harry concaved his stomach, curving his spine and spreading his arms wide. He jumped left and right, trying to avoid the knife. 

            The rumbling grew louder and this time, flakes of the ceiling began to litter the ground around them. There was an almighty crash and far, on the opposite side of the Great Hall, a large wooden beam fell to the ground, crushing the wooden table that was underneath it to splinters.

            Harry used Riddle's befuddle to pry the knife out of his hand, but Riddle was still slightly and surprisingly strong.

            Harry watched Riddle then come at him, low from his waist. Harry swung his right arm out, deflecting Riddle's knife. While it swung out, he used his left wrist to grab Riddle's right. 

            Another pillar fell, this time, it was the Slytherin table, which was crushed. They were getting closer.

            Harry watched Riddle's face turn dark as he tried to make a jab at Harry. Instead, Harry used his free hand (his right), and changed places with the left. He then grinned sinisterly at Riddle, and forcefully, with all his strength, push it towards Riddle. 

            The knife made contact with shirt, then skin. The pocketknife was in Riddle's stomach, protruding out. Harry's had was soon covered in Riddle's blood – blood that was also his blood. Still staring Riddle in the eyes, which were open-mouthed and staring at Harry in shock, he pulled the pocketknife up, creating a sweeping, deep three-inch cut. 

            Harry then gave one more, forceful jab and backed away. Riddle's hands _flew_ to his stomach, and carefully, painfully, pulled the blood-soaked knife out. 

            He stared down at it, and took a stumbling step towards Harry. Another beam fell, close. Chips of wood went flying past the two as it crashed. It split in two, creating a large _snap_ in the Great Hall. 

            Somehow, Riddle's wand skittered across the floor and landed near his feet, but he took no notice of it. He fell to the ground, still clutching the hole that was now in his mortal body. 

            "I could kill you like a wizard," said Harry, staring down at him, "but I figure that this might be more painful for you – mentally and physically. I mean, killed the way a normal muggle could be killed? How pathetic."

            Harry grinned, watching Riddle sink to his knees. The blood was now emerging freely, flowing down his hands and creating a puddle at his feet. 

            "What irony," he finished, and watched as another beam fell over the high table. It was crushed like an ant would be to a human's shoe. 

            Harry turned his back and began walking away, towards the entrance. Finally, Riddle realized he was dying, that he couldn't kill Harry Potter. 

            _But I am superior to him! He should die! I spent thirty years of my life trying to kill him! It's not fair!_ He moaned in his head.

            _Life isn't fair,_ came the taunting voice of Harry. Riddle's scarlet eyes glittered as he looked down and spotted finally his wand. 

            He picked it up with his bloody hand and screamed out roughly, "_Closaea!_" The Great Hall's doors swung shut with a crack. Harry, who been nearly out, slammed his fist against the door. 

            He turned and pointed a finger at Riddle. "You shit."

            "No, Potter," croaked Riddle, his eyes getting a glazed over look. He took a heavy breath and chose his last words carefully. "I'm not. But I refuse to go down."

            "You're dying. You're almost dead," Harry said dryly. 

            "Maybe," he grinned, coughing. Blood spurted out, and dribbled down onto his chin. "But I spent thirty years trying to kill you. I'm not dying without you coming down with me!"

            At this, he pointed his wand straight up, and hollered as loudly as he could, "_ignitious pyroious!_"

            From his wand sprouted a jet of fire, reaching higher and higher until the flames licked the ceiling of the Great Hall. Harry watched in horror as the flames greedily began attacking the wooden supports, slowly burning them away. It only sped up the fact that Hogwarts was slowly coming down all around him. 

            "Fuck," muttered Harry, searching desperately for his wand. He glanced over at Riddle, who was still looking up at the flames with some sort of pyro-adoration look on his face. His glazed scarlet eyes then looked at Harry – met his emerald ones – and then rolled into the back of his head. He then fell backwards, and with one final shudder and cough, he took a heaving breath and died. 

            Harry rejoiced that Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort had finally died, but he still had his own life to save now.

            He began walking to Riddle's body to grab his wand, when a beam fell right in front of him. The heat from the fire was smoldering, and Harry brought his hands up to block the fire from his face. Soot soon found its way on his glasses, and he found it impossible with all the smoke to continue looking for his wand, Riddle's wand or any unbroken wand. 

            Coughing, he bent to the ground, trying to keep the smoke out of his lungs. He found the smell of burning flesh disgusting, but it filled his nostrils everywhere he went. 

            Finally, through a clean spot on his glasses, he found his wand. He lunged at it, and was about it grab it when a loud crackle caught his attention. 

            Looking up, he saw the beam _directly_ above him snap, the flames licking away the every last support. The beam then gave a sighing heave and broke off. It came rushing down to greet him – to make his death. 

**-**

            When Hermione came to, she was in her bedroom, with Oliver looking out the large bay window beside her bed. He had an impassive look on his face, and Hermione wondered what was wrong. 

            "Oliver?" she whispered, stretching. At the sound of her voice, Oliver turned. Hermione then saw whatever had happened, the damage was great. He had bags under his eyes, and his hair was completely tousled. 

            "Hermione," he breathed her name, "you're awake."

            "How long was I out?" she asked, yawning. Oliver sat on the edge of her bed, and reached out to stroke her cheek. He then pulled her into a hug. She was surprised, but complied, hugging him back. 

            "You were out at least," he counted silently, "twelve hours."

            "So it's Tuesday afternoon?" she asked, confused. 

            "Yeah," he whispered. "Oh, God, Mione. Please, hold me."

            Hermione, enormously confused now, did as he instructed. She felt his body shake, so she pulled back and saw he was silently crying. 

            "Oliver," she whispered, her heart breaking at the sight of her soul mate crying. "Oh, love, don't cry." She then reached up and kissed away his tears, lingering her lips over his. "What's wrong? What happened?"

            Oliver kissed her first, passionately, and then while kissing her, lowered her back to the pillows. He didn't open his eyes when he broke off the kiss, so Hermione looked past his shoulder. 

            "Oliver?" she questioned.

            Finally, she got her dreaded response. "The Great Hall caved in and then burnt before Harry could get out. We searched, but we couldn't find anything but Riddle's body and the other charred bodies of the Death Eaters."

            Hermione sucked in a breath. Harry, dead? Those two words never went well together, and it seemed impossible for them to be like that. Harry was _The Boy Who Lived_ – invincible. 

            _But Superman is invincible,_ said a small voice. _And he was fatal to kryptonite. Every superhero has a weakness, and Harry's was lack of magical abilities. He couldn't have made it out alive._

            Hermione slowly felt the tears leak out then, at that revelation. Harry Potter, her best friend for twenty-two years, was dead. 

            "How?" she rushed out, never noticing she had been holding her breath. Oliver looked up at her, right in the eyes and sighed. 

**---_FLASHBACK_---**

            Oliver, with Hermione in his arms, turned around once they all reached the coach. He could see McGonagall and Snape and even some new students all sitting in the magically enlarged bus, talking avidly. 

            Suddenly, a loud boom caught everyone who stood outside – Remus, Arabella, Fred and George, Ron, Lavender, Dean, Padma, Cho, Blaise, Draco, Sarah, Neville, Ginny and Seamus's – attention. A large piece of the Great Hall fell into itself, caving in. Other parts of the school began breaking, falling off or disappearing inside the building. Tall turrets crumbled and came crashing down into the lake. The giant squid swam to the farthest edge. 

            "Oh shit," said Dean suddenly, "Harry's still in there."

            At this, Ron began to move forward, pain and worry etched deeply into his face. Dean, Draco, Remus and Neville all stepped forward and pulled tightly back on Ron's arms. He couldn't move forward, and he certainly didn't have Hermione's gift to slip through solid objects. 

            "Harry!" screamed Ron at the top of his lungs. At this, everyone in the coach looked out the windows and saw what was happening. They went quiet quickly, a scared hushed silence that was only around when tragedy struck.

            "Let me go! Let me go!" yelled Ron, struggling with all his might to step forward, back into the now burning building that had been Hogwarts. The thousand year old building was burning and being destroyed in a tiny instant. Over a thousand years of students, magic, good and bad graduates, were all being burnt away.

             Ron took a giant step forward, managing to drag the three men a couple of inches, but finally, he collapsed on the ground in sorrow and fatigue.

            They Renaissance, Salvation and Old Crowd looked on in silence, respect and horror. After what seemed like forever, the fire died down, the building was nothing more than blackened beams and crumbled stones.

            Then, and only then, did Dean, Seamus, Draco and Blaise start forward. After what seemed to be hours, they returned, soot covering their faces. They shook their heads, and bowed them in respect. 

            Oliver then said everyone should go on the bus; they were going home. Where they were now.

**---_end flashback_---**

            Hermione shuddered. She had long since finished her sobs, and was now grieving the loss of her best friend silently, inwardly. 

            Oliver had held her tightly as he told what had happened, holding her close. He kissed her tears away, and once he was finished, watched for her reaction. 

            Hermione pulled her strength from deep down, and letting fall in front of everything. She had to go on without Harry but for now on, she and Ron would be two halves of a whole. They would never be complete any more.

            She wiped the remains of dried tears with the heel of her palm and swung her covers back. She went to her closet and picked out a black sweater and dark, midnight blue jeans. She then brushed her hair back using her fingers and glanced over at Oliver. 

            "I'm going to take a shower. Can you tell everyone I'm requesting and holding a meeting in an hour in the mess hall? I'm requesting that all students, teachers and so forth be present."

            Oliver nodded, got up and stopped behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, "I'm glad Hermione. You need to be strong for us all. That's what I love about you, but… remember this. You're not alone." 

            She nodded, and stepped into her lavish bathroom. Once she was certain Oliver was out of the room, she turned the water up full blast, striped, and allowed the pounding water erase all her troubles.

            That wasn't so. She felt the weight of memories surface, and she began to silently cry. Or was she? She wasn't sure, because the tears mingled with the water from the shower. And for that, she was glad that for once, people weren't relying on her to be the strongest. 

            Not at the moment, anyway.

**-**

            Once she finished her shower, she put on her clothes and was soon walking to the mess hall. She heard the subdued murmurs before she entered. Deciding against using her powers, she mentally checked the date. 

            _April 27_, she thought, and then stepped through the archway. Immediately, all talk stopped. She continued walking up to the teacher's table, where she gazed sadly and fondly at where Harry sat. Where he _used_ to sit, right in the middle of everything. 

            She jumped up onto the slight platform, aware of every eye on her. She then stood between her seat and Harry's seat. Ron watched her with red-rimmed eyes. 

            She cleared her throat, and started, "can I have your attention please?"

            The hall stopped talking now; every eye, ear, was tuned to her.

            "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," she began, "I am sure that all of you know that yesterday, Harry Potter left us. In the meaning of leaving us, I meant he passed on, died. Ladies and gentlemen, The Boy Who Lived, lives no more.

            "I knew Harry as my best friend, beside Ron Weasley here. The three of us were inseparable. We were the 'dream team', the three musketeers. Harry was always there for me when I was feeling down, when anyone was feeling down." Hermione felt the prickles of tears in the corner of her eyes. 

            "Throughout our years at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron and I had some great adventures. I will never forget them, as I never will forget him. He will always remain in my heart, in my soul. He touched me in a way no person, besides Oliver Wood whom I love with all my heart, has. In a way, Harry Potter touched and reached us all. If not with her friendship, unbiased prejudices to others, then by his stories of accomplishments. Harry gave us hope. He gave us freedom.

            "I was one of those fortunate few who got to grow up with him at Hogwarts, and to get what her personally felt about subjects. How many people could know what his favorite color is? What he looks like when he yawns? Hardly anyone but the precious few who knew him.

            "I feel for all of you who never got to talk to him," said Hermione, as the first tears leaked mutely out. "If you had, you would've realized what a special, wonderful person he was."

            She turned, looked at her friends on her right side, and then to her left, where Ron sat, staring and watching her with tears running down his face. She then finally turned to face the students, the crowd and teachers from Hogwarts. Many of them were sniffling, or in some way expressing their feelings. 

            "Everyone," she sniffed tearfully, "everyone _please_, please stand and spend a moment in silence to pay our respects to Harry Potter – The Boy Who Lived, the boy who saved many of us, who was a best friend to some, but to all, a savior and hero to this world.

            "Long live Harry Potter." She finished. She then looked everyone as she could in the eye, her vision blurring as she felt the tears slide down.

            The students all began to rise, one by one. Hermione felt a small smile fall on her lips. Beside her, Oliver stood. He placed an arm around her waist, and Ron on the other side stood, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

            But, what was the shock of all; Snape stood, and began_ clapping_. Soon, the whole hall was filled with the sounds of clapping, and all the students and teachers were standing. Hermione felt the tears slide down, but now, they weren't tears of grief. They were tears of love. 

            These people, many who never knew Harry, were here, gathered together and clapping for _him,_ for what he stood for. She felt her heart soar and she knew that Harry would've appreciated it. 

            She took one look at the smile on her remaining best friends face. He beamed down at her, with brotherly affection and love. 

            Hermione felt much better after her speech. Later, when she reflected on it, as she raised her wand, it felt as if Harry had been there with them. A burst of soft baby yellow erupted from the wand tip, and when the pink smoke dyed away, butterflies and doves flew around the mess hall before disappearing high in the ceiling. 

            It was truly a beautiful sight; something no one, no matter what age or liking, would forget. All, as not a hero, would remember Harry Potter as he was always thought to be, but a person who stood up for what was right.

**-**

**Moony:** I know that Justin is a Muggle-born, but when Voldemort took over Hogwarts, a few Muggleborns were left. Those who were left joined Voldemort to redeem their parentage. Or something like that ^_^

**Sophie W.:** Actually, I haven't seen an episode since a year and a half ago. I don't watch much TV anymore, as I'm always on the net. The only thing I usually watch is _X-Men: Evolution_ and the occasional movie on Pay Per View that I haven't already seen in theatres. But, yeah, I took that one scene from DBZ – it was all Goku's idea for the Kama-Ya-Ha ^_^

**Lady Knight of Kennan:** Yeah, I like Draco/Ginny too as a couple, but in all my other stories they are paired up together. I wanted something of a change, but their relationship will be explained in the epilogue – coming soon!

**Smile7499:** did you guess correctly? ^_^ I happen to _adore_ Rogue and Shadow Cat – those two characters from _X-Men: Evolution_ are my favorites. 

**Epilogue coming soon – R & R please!**


	12. Epilogue: Miracles Happen

Pandora's Box

_Kneazle_

**_DC_**_: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot. Amelia Atwater-Rhodes bases fighting scenes on episodes of Dragonball, Z, and GT, and afflicted books. Meg Cabot bases the diary entry on "The Princess Diaries", and the final scene is based on an episode of "The Wild Thornberries". _

**_AN_**_: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, the Renaissances become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: Evolution, they fight and teach, and have similar powers to: ex, Hermione = Kitty Pryde. The song during chapter eight is by Godsmack, "Awake"._

 [Mar. 2, 02]

**-**

_I can't imagine living my life without you now   
Not ever having you around   
We found our way out   
Don't have to look back to realize how far we've come   
There are million reasons   
I'm looking up   
I don't want this to end   
  
You showed me faith is not blind   
I don't need wings to help me fly   
Miracles happen, once in a while   
When you believe – _

_Myra, "Miracles Happen (When You Believe)"_, 

From Disney's The Princess Diaries

**-**

Epilogue

            It's been three months since Harry died and Tom Riddle was defeated at Hogwarts. Life has pretty much resumed since then. April 27 is now a national memorial day for Harry. I'm sure he wouldn't really like it that much, but… people will always think of him as a hero, no matter what _he_ wanted. 

            Every 27 of the month, Ron and I go out and stare up at the stars by my bench in the gardens. I think Lavender once followed us, but Ron gently told her that this was _our_ time, to say goodbye to Harry in our own way. Every month, we look up to the stars, find the brightest one and start to tell it about the past month. We only speak to that star – it's our Harry. Ron and I know that it's stupid to do that, but we feel that he's listening that way.

            Sirius took the news of Harry's death really hard. It took Madam Promfrey about a month and half just to get him to allow Ron and myself to visit, being Harry's best friends. We – the three of us – had a really long talk. Mostly about Hogwarts days, Harry, things the Marauder's used to do, Harry… but mostly Harry. We all miss him. 

            The Institute of Magic is a really big hit – Ron, Oliver, Draco and I had to keep adding to our buildings, as there's hardly any room for all the new enrollments coming here! Minerva and I teach about six Transfiguration classes each, and it's really hard to keep track of all the students. We're also really busy, leaving the school usually in the middle of the night to attack the rogue Death Eaters. One thing that Harry was right about for so many years is that evil never truly leaves us. It's always around, closer than we realize. Tom Riddle showed Harry that there's evil in us, and evil we have to learn to cope with or completely forget. We can't ever succumb to it. Or we'll end up bitter and evil like Voldemort was. 

            Oh! What happened to everyone after April 27? Lots. Ron kept his promise! He and Lavender are getting married in a month, in August. They wanted a breezy summer wedding, and Ginny and I think it'll be great. Ginny, Padma, Cho, Selene, Sarah Fawcett, Arabella and myself are bridesmaids, but it's Padma who is the Maid of Honor… I think Lavender thought that her dead best friend (dear Parvati Patil, may she rest in peace) would have liked that. So do I.

            Dean! My goodness, can you believe it? Since we came back from Hogwarts, Dean and Padma were seeing each other! Secretly! No one knew, and certainly not our resident Seer, Lavender! Were we all ever so surprised when Ron caught Dean and Padma making out in his charms room. It seems to be a good room. I remember when we found Sirius and Arabella there once. That was funny!

            Fleur went back home to Paris to check on her little sister, Gabrielle. Surprisingly, Remus seemed pretty sad at her departure. I sense a new relationship there too! Is it just me, or is this year filled with relationships? I guess it's expected, since we have everything to look forward to now. 

            Anyway! Fleur said she'd be back in September for the newest student arrivals, _but_ she's bringing Gabrielle. I can't blame her. Paris was hit pretty badly while we'd be in status. There's nothing really left, and it looks like one of those "the world is ending" muggle movies. Like, out of _Armageddon_ or whatnot. Wasn't Owen Wilson or someone in that? Oh well, my knowledge on muggle movies have dropped considerably. 

            You'd never guess this – Cho and Blaise are an item. Cho Chang and Blaise Zabini. Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Ok-ay there. That's the good news that they really care about each other. The bad news is that Cho got a letter a few days ago asking if she'd be a Professor at the Chin Academy of Magic in China. She accepted, so she and Blaise are moving at the end of August. Considering how much I disliked Cho during our Hogwarts days, I believe I'm going to miss her. Everyone grew to like one another – like a family would.

            Draco moved out of the school. He lives with Selene in his old manor. I popped over a couple of weeks ago and they gave me the grand tour. Malfoy Manor looks great now! Draco told me he and a few other workers removed all the Dark Arts stuff and dismantled it all, and then burnt the stuff. It's great to see that Draco wants nothing more with what his family has been known for, for hundreds of generations. I also think he's a bit sweet on Selene Sinistra. I remember the looks old Professor Sinistra gave him when he bowed and kissed Selene's hand at the spring ball we had in June. She looked ready to kill!

            I remember when Ron asked him what was between him and Ginny. The conversation went something like so:

            **Ron:** So, Draco. Do you like my sister or not? Are you playing her?

**            Draco:** Certainly not, Weasley. I admit that Ginny and I dated briefly at Hogwarts for a year or so, but it never really went that far. She was my closest friend and helped me leave the rule of my father. She was the one who helped me choose the light side.

            **Ron:** I see. So, that comment you said earlier, about what we would all do after we destroyed Voldemort… what was it? Oh, yes, 'I'd like to be wherever Ginny is' or something or the other.

            **Draco**: Oh, yeah, that. Well, I sort of promised Ginny that if she was ever in trouble, I'd be there to help, save or whatever. Like, you and Granger are brother-sister figures, right? Well, that's like Ginny and myself. I only care of her like a sister. So I watch out for her.

            **Me:** That's really sweet Draco. Punch?

            **Draco:** yes, thank you. 

            That was really all, but it cleared up a lot. After that, the Weasley family was pretty close to Draco after that, and bestowed the best wishes to him. The funny thing is that Ginny and Draco are like, best friends. Really close – two peas in a pod, that's them. Pretty funny when you see them, but I think it's cute. So does Selene.

            As for Ginny… well, my fiery little redhead friend is engaged to power-sucking genius Seamus Finnigan! Can you _believe_ that one? I couldn't. Oliver says I fainted and fell through my chair and onto the ground when I heard it. You see, Seamus has the same power as Rogue from _X-Men_ so I find it hard to believe he's capable of kissing… touching… ew, don't want to go _too_ far there… okay, mental picture… leave, leave, leave… OK! 

            According to Ginny, everything's fine. He's learning to control his power really well, and I think that's great. He's got it much better than Rogue ever did, didn't he? Ha, ha… at least _his_ true name isn't Marie.

            Mundungus left IoM a couple of months ago, around middle May. He said he was going to study under the true Mad-Eye Moody's instruction, and come back as a major Auror or something like that. The Old Crowd was pretty sad, but… I guess all good things come to an end. I certainly learned that.

            Neville is completely different. Since the Hogwarts thing, he's become much more confidant and such. He and Susan Bones (remember her? Hufflepuff, same year?) Are going out now. Neville has an apartment in this little village outside our school. It's pretty cool that people want to live close to us in this little tow. But besides that, I visit him sometimes. They actually make a really cute couple. Oliver found that hard to believe and nearly peed his pants laughing so hard. If he were on a broom, he'd have fallen off laughing and died laughing. Silly nutter.

            Percy is the new Minister of Magic in London. It's great that he's so enthusiastic to set up a government right away, and he's brilliant at politics and such. He and Penelope got married as soon as the first of May rolled around. Everyone was there, and the ceremony was beautiful. 

            Fred and George left our school, and went to set up shop in the village outside IoM. I have no idea what the town is called; I'll have to get back to you on that. But whatever, they opened their first Weasley's Wizard Wheezes since Voldemort reigned. They're galleonaires, too. Already. Three months in business. They are both currently engaged beautiful fiancées, Fred + Angelina Johnson, and George + Alicia Spinnet. They met up with their old friend Lee from school and found out he's already married to Katie Bell! Wow, small world, huh? Three best friends with three best friends. Crazy.

            As for me, Oliver and I are doing great. We aren't married yet, but we're still in love as much as we were before. He finally bought be this gorgeous ring (not like _I_ care) so I don't have this plastic toy ring anymore. But I put it aside for memories. I never realized it, but I wore it the whole time. Even when I died. 

            Oh! When I died, I saw a lot, and I learnt a lot. I can't really write it down, because I couldn't explain it. Not at all, but I can say that if you ever thought dying wasn't peaceful, forget it, you're wrong. It's the most wonderful sensation in the world. It's… like everything good happening at once. Ever wanted to know what Heaven looks like? I asked Oliver that and he said he was looking at it; and he meant me! I was speechless. But then he said, "later," so I'll tell him one day what it's like to die. 

            Anyway, enough of these morbid thoughts. I've got a secret, promise not to tell? Ginny and Lavender just preformed a special charm on me and guess what? I'm pregnant. Three weeks, actually. I haven't told Oliver yet, but I really hope he's going to be happy, because he's going to be a daddy! Ron is going to be the Godfather, no matter what. It Harry were alive… well… he's our unspoken Godfather.

            I was reading this muggle magazine when I came across this:

_In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on earth. Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship; to create her and he did, using water and earth. The gods endowed her with many talents; Aphrodite gave her beauty, Apollo music, Hermes persuasion, and so forth. Hence her name: Pandora, "all-gifted"._

_When Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Zeus took vengeance by presenting Pandora to Epimetheus, Prometheus' brother. With her, Pandora had a jar, which she was not to open under any circumstance. Impelled by her natural curiosity, Pandora opened the jar, and all evil contained escaped and spread over the earth. She hastened to close the lid, but the whole contents of the jar had escaped, except for one thing that lay at the bottom, and that was Hope._

            I realized that the children of the wizardring world were like Pandora – because of our abilities, we were given magic (the box). Then, our curiosity got the better of us, and we tested our limits (hence opening it). We let all this evil into our lives and wreck havoc on the muggles and wizards alike, but at the bottom was hope. And you know what? The Renaissance was that hope. Harry was that hope, because without Harry, think about how much evil would be around. Tons. So Harry was our hope, and our magic is Pandora's Box. Pretty interesting how you can incorporate Greek mythology to our daily lives, huh?

            Anyway, I'm going now. I have a transfiguration class to teach in ten. I'll write later! Hugs and Kisses,

            Hermione Granger

**-**

            "Hermione!" a voice called. Turning, Hermione watched Neville jog towards her. Ron was standing, holding her books as she unlocked her classroom.

            "Hey Neville," they greeted him. "How's Susan?"

            Neville blushed slightly, and then lowered his voice. "I err—found something back in Dumbledore's office, but forgot about it until now."

            Ron raised his eyebrows. They watched Neville open his jacket up, look both ways, and quickly thrust a piece of paper and envelope into Hermione's free hand. 

            "It's addressed to Harry," whispered Neville. "I thought that you two should have it, you know, being his best friends and all." He then took one more look around and continued walking, as if he'd never stopped to talk. 

            Confused, Hermione unlocked her classroom door and ushered Ron inside. Once she was sure that they were alone, she preformed a simple yet effective silencing charm on the room and locked the door. 

            "Read it," urged Ron. He placed her books down and she nodded. Flipping it over, she read Dumbledore's loopy scrawl. _Harry Potter_ was written in loopy letters on the front. On the back, the seal of Hogwarts was etched in wax. 

            She took her wand and broke the seal, and opened the paper up. She skimmed the first line, looked up, and then read aloud as she walked around, finding a seat. 

            _My dear protégé, Harry Potter,_

_            It's been a long time since we have last spoken to one another, has it not? I know that one-day, you and your friends being as brilliant and strong as they are will escape that infernal hibernation ice cage that you were all locked into. _

_            I speak – write – to you now, knowing that someday you will read this. Perhaps not, but if that be the case, may it fall into the right hands. I wish not for any of Voldemort's, or Tom Riddle's, men to read this. _

_            It may not be something of importance, but to you it may be. I don't think Hogwarts will be around much longer. The walls are filled with the remnants of dark magic, and the vibe here is so thick that I choke when I teach classes. The walls groan with protest; it is only a matter of time before they collapse. They cannot stand much more power sinking into their foundation. Hogwarts will become non-existent soon, dear protégé._

_            For I wish that you have the best of luck, the hope and courage to continue one. I am sure that there is another school out there that you will be in charge of – you were always a powerful one. To me, you reminded me so much of myself and Riddle when we were young. _

_            Harry, I watched your parents from when they were weak and young. I watched them grow into some of the most powerful wizards and witches I have taught and trained. Quite like yourself, Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley. You all showed wonderfully strong powers and resistance to evil. That is what kept you all together. Even if one of you were to die… that power would be there. That will to carry on will always be there. That is what makes you all so powerful._

_            That will to keep going, that bravery, that courage and lack of selfishness (something that Mr. Weasley grew out of, bless him), is what made all three of you so powerful. _

_            I wished to tell you that in person, but my days grow short. If Riddle doesn't kill me personally, I will soon die of lack of magic. I am bonded to it, and once the goodness in it dries up, I am nothing. I can feel the powers being drained of me now, even as I write this. All of it goes to Riddle. He is a leech – sucking all the power up for him. Harry, I believe very much in you and I know that you will win the battle._

_            For I know, and forever will believe, that good prevails over evil every time. Bless you, Harry Potter. For if it were not for you, there wouldn't be a world worth saving._

_            Sincerely, Albus Dumbledore_

            Hermione looked up at Ron. They were both speechless. So, Harry was Dumbledore's protégé? No wonder he always helped them when in trouble.

            Finally, the two sat in silence, basking in more memories. Hermione broke the silence with a dry sob. "The weight has finally hit home, Ron. They're gone."

            "I know," he whispered gruffly.

            "You know what day is it, right?" she asked. 

            He nodded. She looked up, eyes rimmed with tears. "We'll read this letter to him. It's only fair."

**-**

            The night air of July was cool on Hermione's face as she stood by her bench. Ron stood with her, both their heads tilted back.

            "Three months," he murmured. 

            "To the day," agreed Hermione, not removing her eyes from the shooting star she spotted. "Hard to believe it, huh?"

            "Yeah." He agreed, inhaling the scent of the cherry blossom a few feet away. He listened to the crickets in the distance sing their songs, the hoots of owls flying overhead to deliver messages, the whispering sounds of cattails down by the pond. 

            They had finished reading the letter a couple of minutes ago, and now they just stood in silence, wishing nothing but the best for their lost friend. 

            "Ron?"

            "Mm?"

            "Do you think it's possible that he's not dead?"

            The question rocked Ron so hard he lost his balance. He fell to the ground and Hermione fell to the ground beside him, staring into his sapphire eyes. They pleaded for an answer. Above them, the moon shone through a cloud that passed by, illuminating the surrounding area. 

            Through the moonlight, it was as if pixies floated up through the air, creating a special dance, mesmerizing the two. 

            "No," said Ron, so quietly. Hermione turned her head back to him. "I think he made it out." He turned to look questioningly at her. "Do you?"

            "Think he's dead?" she finished. A lone tear trailed down her cheek. "Never."

            They nodded at each other and continued to watch the dance in the moonlight. Another cloud passed over it, and the dancing stopped. An ominous hoot warned them that someone was near. 

            A branch snapped – the two were instantly on their feet, wands out and eyes darting here and there. 

            A shadow moved quickly out of the corner of their eyes, and they turned to face it. They couldn't see the figure, but only it's silhouette. 

            Ron and Hermione shared a glance just said nothing. The silhouette's form changed; it was no longer that of a human's but of some animal. A low growl told them it were some sort of feline. 

            Another look shared by Ron and Hermione confirmed what the other was thinking. They dared not say anything, but smiled at the silhouette. There was a skittering sound, and out of the bushes landing at Hermione's feet was a glasses frame; a bottle-cap glasses frame. She bent at the knees and retrieved the glasses, clutching them tightly to her chest.

            Looking up, the two watched the silhouette then mesh into the shadows before it disappeared all together. 

            Hermione turned to Ron, and with a bright smile, said, "I'll never believe that Harry is dead. To me, he lives, and he knows it."

            Ron grinned back at the young woman and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Together, they walked back to the castle, thinking back without mourning on their best friend, and wondering what new adventures he was up to now.

            And wondering when they would be joining him.

**-**

THE END

**-**


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